324: Chapter 324 Setbacks

Song City, Governors Mansion.

The operation conference room was thick with smoke. The new Governor Jiang Shiqi, the new Commander-in-Chief Wang Jintang, Chief of Staff Division Commander Song Yu, 1st Division Commander Yun Zhuoyue, 2nd Division Commander Wei Jun, and 3rd Division Commander Lei Jianming were all smoking with their heads bowed in silence.

After a long while, Governor Jiang Shiqi stubbed out his cigarette and turned his gaze toward Tang Long.

"Tang Long, the reasons you gave earlier were already very clear."

"But after thinking it over repeatedly, I feel that this battle cannot be fought, or rather, it cannot be fought for the time being."

"The turmoil involving Xu Chaoyang has just passed, and the people of Song City are just starting to settle down. If we go to war now, the troops' combat effectiveness will be greatly compromised. If we lose, the consequences will be unimaginable."

"Not to mention the reinforcements from various fronts."

"Ye Baiming talks a good game, but can he be relied upon at a critical moment?"

"The two cities of Sangyu have suffered such major setbacks; even if they agree to your call to send troops, it's unknown how much effort they will actually put in."

"Furthermore, there is our Majesty."

"You are planning to act first and report later; what will he think when the time comes? Will he really send the army from Huaidu to help you?"

"These are all unknowns. Can you dare to say this battle will be a guaranteed victory? I cannot believe it."

"Everyone, please share your thoughts."

Yun Zhuoyue was the first to slam the table and stand up, pointing at Tang Long with a fierce glare.

"I knew from the start that you were a jinx!"

"You want to wipe out three countries in one battle? What huge ambitions you have!"

"Even taking a step back, supposing we win this battle in the end, how many people in Dongyu will die? How many women will be left widows?"

"Governor Jiang, I now formally suggest stripping Tang Long of his military advisory rights!"

"Get him out of here!"

Governor Jiang Shiqi hurriedly used a hand gesture to calm the room. "Division Commander Yun, calm down. Please sit down first and listen to what others have to say."

Commander-in-Chief Wang Jintang sighed, stood up, and said in a very sincere tone, "Your Excellency Tang Long's strategic brilliance played a decisive role during the Xu family turmoil, and even my own life was saved thanks to him."

"I also fully agree with and admire Your Excellency's strategic analysis of this battle. This is indeed a grand strategy for the long-term establishment of Dongyu."

"However... Your Excellency, I am not targeting you personally. I feel the same as Governor Jiang; I don't think now is the time."

Division Commander Song Yu followed up, "That's right, Your Excellency. At least give us some time to make adequate preparations. You want to do it immediately, and even want to crush Haixing within three days—it's just..."

Governor Jiang Shiqi looked at 2nd Division Commander Wei Jun and 3rd Division Commander Lei Jianming. "What about you two?"

2nd Division Commander Wei Jun stood up and saluted, "Your Excellency Governor, I personally support all of Your Excellency Tang Long's decisions unconditionally."

"Oh? The reason?"

"Because the facts have already proven that Your Excellency Tang Long possesses superior wisdom. I believe he has thought everything through, and I trust his judgment."

"3rd Division Commander Lei, how about you?"

3rd Division Commander Lei Jianming's face stiffened, and he waved his hand slightly. "I... have no opinion. I obey the orders of the Military Department."

Commander-in-Chief Wang Jintang smiled and persuaded, "Old Lei, you don't need to be so restrained. What's in the past is in the past. The fact that you can sit here means we all trust you, and you have the right to speak your mind."

3rd Division Commander Lei Jianming smiled unnaturally, then stood up and bowed slightly to Tang Long.

"Your Excellency Tang Long, I also feel that the timing is not right."

Governor Jiang Shiqi nodded. "Then it is very clear. The majority opinion is in opposition. Tang Long, this voting system was proposed by you. How do you view the result?"

Tang Long held a tortoise shell in his hand; it was the Wuque Method newly confiscated from General Liang's belongings—the World-Setting Stake.

This Cultivation Technique was truly overbearing and could be considered the most unique one among the Spirit Map Wuque Methods he had seen. No wonder General Liang's combat power was so formidable.

In terms of characteristics, it was very similar to the Barbarian Blood Tyrant Body, also excelling in deflecting force.

However, the Barbarian Blood focused on the self; the force-deflection effect was mainly generated by an exceptionally powerful physique, with the force borne by flesh, blood, and bones.

The World-Setting Stake, on the other hand, was purely Earth-attribute. One's body Qi connected with the earth, channeling external force into the ground.

Moreover, each layer was deeper than the last; the method of deflecting force was like a great tree taking root, forming an increasingly deep and wide network, just as unbreakable as this tortoise shell.

As long as it did not exceed that extremely outrageous critical force threshold, it could withstand any density of attacks.

Good stuff!

Pity... today's meeting didn't go very smoothly.

It was his own fault, too; he hadn't made the most critical point clear to these people.

"Everyone, some of you should know that I can command the Chaos Walkers."

"With their power, our warriors can shed much less blood."

"But in three days, these Chaos Walkers will disappear and won't appear for a long time."

"Therefore, the critical strategy lies in these three days."

"If these three days are used properly, it is enough for us to achieve a decisive victory, or at the very least, secure a highly favorable position."

"As for the so-called low morale and wavering hearts, if we have one or two major victories, would these still be problems?"

"Would the other cities or Huaidu still hesitate if they saw us winning?"

"Besides, your Jiang Family has more martial virtue than anyone; stop being so stingy and unwilling to shed any blood. Is it really meaningful to just let so many mechanical warriors gather dust underground?"

"That is all I will say. Whether to fight or not, I ask you to consider it carefully again."

Once these words were spoken, not only did Governor Jiang Shiqi frown deeply, but even the division commanders began whispering among themselves.

But Yun Zhuoyue jumped up again and shouted, "Tang Long, since you already know the news about Ye Baiqiao, why didn't you announce it to everyone?"

"As long as we invite the Six Marshals back, all of Dongyu's predicaments can be solved easily, and there would be no need for so many people to bleed!"

"You concealed the news and instead vigorously incited war; what exactly are your intentions?"

Tang Long sneered, "Division Commander Yun, is your brain filled with paste?"

"If I wanted to conceal the news, could I have let you know?"

"Besides, who told you that everything would be fine if Ye Baiqiao returned? If he had that ability, why did he leave back then?"

"Can he do today what he couldn't do twenty years ago?"

"He was exiled by the Pope and His Majesty. If we invite him back, where does that leave the Pope and His Majesty?"

"I finally managed to repair the rift between Song City and the Imperial Court; should I invite him back and then fight a civil war against the Imperial Court?"

"During the Sangyu Rebellion back then, he killed too many people and forged blood feuds with so many Sangyu people! If we invite him back, will the Sangyu people still be willing to stand on our side?"

"Is this what you call solving the predicament easily? You're fucking moronic!"

"I advise you, don't lose your head just because he is your Master!"

"In terms of relationship, he is my brother-in-Law, much closer than you! My wife personally begged me to save him, but I cannot put personal feelings above public duty!"

"If you want to save him, go save him yourself; don't be a troublemaker here!"

These words not only made Yun Zhuoyue tremble with rage, but the others also lowered their heads and sighed.

In truth, hadn't they also placed high hopes on Ye Baiqiao, counting on him to return and clean up the situation?

But Tang Long's words not only berated Yun Zhuoyue mercilessly but also ruthlessly exposed Ye Baiqiao's true colors in public, completely shattering the illusions in their hearts.

That's right, if Ye Baiqiao returned now, Dongyu would only become more chaotic.

The only one who could truly get things done was Tang Long.

At this moment, Tang Long suddenly smelled something burning. He turned his head and saw his sleeve beginning to smoke.

His eyes widened abruptly, and he strode outside.

Before leaving, he dropped a harsh remark.

"If you all do not listen to my words, Dongyu will surely perish within ten years!"

— — — —

[ Law + 1! ]

Tang Long's body trembled, and he woke up from the dark deep space. The golden ripples around his body expanded by another circle.

He checked his panel slightly and couldn't help but laugh bitterly.

His Law power had now reached—five points!

In other words, by just sunbathing for five or six hours, his Law power had increased by three points.

About one point every two hours on average.

Calculating at this speed, that's 12 points a day.

Each point increases skill effectiveness by 10%, an increase of 120% per day.

If he spent a year just sunbathing, how much... could it reach?

Looking up, he found that the sun's light had softened a lot, and the Earth... had also become much larger.

It must be that the distance had closed significantly.

Although he hadn't actively accelerated during this time, he was still subject to Earth's gravity.

Turning back, he discovered a few points of light, seemingly intending to approach him.

Another alien spacecraft?

Unfortunately, the distance was too great; even Fire Eye could do nothing at such a distance.

After a moment of thought, he turned around and accelerated, flying toward Earth.

Under constant acceleration, he felt himself moving incredibly fast, but due to the lack of a reference point, he didn't know exactly how fast.

Then, he began to contact Comrade Li Jiaying and the others.

"Old Li, Old Li, this is Tang Long. Can you hear me?"

"spacecraft, please respond if you receive this!"

"...ed? ...Alright!"

"Tang Long! We are about to..."

The intermittent, crackling voice made it difficult to convey information effectively. Tang Long could not help but frown deeply, wondering what was wrong with the spacecraft.

But just a few minutes later, a call came through the headset again.

"Tang Long, Tang Long! Can you hear me?"

Tang Long's heart gave a slight jolt. He remembered that this voice should belong to the head of the Dragon Group.

That Dragon Head?

"I am the head of the Dragon Group."

"The spacecraft has entered Earth's orbit and is conducting a two-day flight around the Earth. Due to the influence of celestial bodies and atmospheric interference, you are temporarily unable to communicate smoothly."

"Therefore, I have urgently mobilized the military deep-space quantum satellite array to call you."

"This line is now exclusive to you and me; no one on Earth can eavesdrop."

Tang Long couldn't help but laugh. "The Dragon Group is indeed wealthy and imposing, Mr. Head."

The head on the other end laughed too. "If you are willing to join the Dragon Group, you can also mobilize these resources at any time."

"What? You Dragon Group wants to recruit a thief?"

"Petty thieves and tricksters all have their uses. Moreover, your role might be larger than imagined."

Only then did Tang Long become serious. "So, Chief, you aren't joking."

"Of course not. But then again, every Dragon Group warrior is a battle-tested person with firm faith. If you cannot achieve this, I am afraid I can only feel regret."

"Faith... believe me, faith is not the problem; the problem lies in the concepts."

"Oh? How so?"

Tang Long asked again, "Chief, since this is a top-secret direct line, can I speak more frankly?"

"Yes, honesty is exactly what I want to hear."

"You had better not have heart disease; otherwise, every topic I mention might cause your heart rate to skyrocket."

"Hahaha! If one doesn't speak alarming words, one cannot startle the listeners. I believe I have seen quite a few storms; ordinary situations cannot scare me."

"Then you just haven't met me earlier."

"If the experiences you recount are true, I should indeed be shocked. Go ahead, I will try my best to understand."

"Chief, although we haven't officially met yet, the first suggestion I want to give you is to expand the nuclear arsenal."

"What did you say? Did you just say... expand the nuclear arsenal?"

"Yes! I said expand the nuclear arsenal! For a long time, Longxia's nuclear forces have been too conservative. Perhaps they are enough for now against enemies on Earth, but what we are about to face is an invasion by a mythical civilization from another dimension. A few hundred warheads are far from enough."

The Dragon Head did not speak for a long time. After a while, he let out two bitter laughs.

"Good kid! You really are alarmist; you gave me a head-on blow right from the start."

"But you should know that our country's nuclear policy has always adhered to the minimum deterrence standard."

"Expanding the nuclear arsenal... even with the Dragon Group's authority, we cannot bypass various institutions. I am afraid it will be very difficult to convince the Supreme Committee, not to mention other chain reactions."

"Even if it could be implemented in the end, it would trigger panic and an arms race across the entire Earth."

"This... is difficult... it will take quite some time."

Tang Long was also quite helpless. "But time is exactly what we lack."

"If the first suggestion is this difficult, the second one might make you scratch your head even more."

"Wait a moment! Is there a slightly gentler suggestion to let me catch my breath?"

"A gentler one... is to immediately execute a batch of 'human traitors.' These people will defect to the invaders in the future, causing huge disasters for Earth's people. Deal with them in advance to prevent trouble before it happens."

"This... is the number large?"

"Not too many, after all, my knowledge is limited. The first batch... a few thousand people, I suppose."

"Executing several thousand people, you call this a gentle suggestion?"

"Chief, believe me, compared to billions of casualties, this is already just the tip of a single hair on a cow."

"This... let me consider it. Tell me the next one."

"The next one is to wipe out the country of Japan, in the physical sense."

"What! Wipe out a country? Kid, do you know what you are saying? If you do that, we don't need to wait for the aliens to arrive; it might trigger a world war first."

"Comrade Chief, when the Doomsday Era arrives, the Japanese's first action will be to backstab us. I don't even want to mention how much we suffered."

"I have only one sentence: at the critical moment of survival, kindness is the way to death."

The Dragon Head also sighed dejectedly, "Emotionally, I agree with your judgment. But rationally, this is a difficulty we cannot overcome in reality."

Tang Long was silent.

His cause on Blue Star had entered a difficult period; he was not afraid of this.

But on Earth, even with a figure like the Dragon Head, it was difficult to realize his vision, which caused him to feel some frustration for the first time.

If things drag on like this, what can be prepared in seven years?

Does everything have to be done by me personally?