Great Power Reclamation

The East African Settlement Unit (EASU) of the Solomon Islands-Massai Union is making steady progress in the region and is gradually showing momentum to replace the US dollar in trade within the union.

This may seem like just a step in regional economic integration, but in the minds of strategists, it is like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up huge waves.

The US dollar hegemony is one of the core cornerstones of US global power. Any attempt to challenge this system is seen as a threat to fundamental US interests.

Although the EASU of the Somali alliance is currently far from being able to compete with the US dollar, its tendency to "de-dollarize" and the subtle connections it has with military settlements and even broader forces are enough to touch their most sensitive nerves.

"We must not set this bad example!"

In a highly confidential conference room at the Pentagon, a four-star general was tapping on the table.

"Today they're forming a small clique in East Africa, tomorrow South America and Asia might follow suit! We must nip this trend in the bud and use the harshest measures to let everyone know what the consequences are for challenging the US dollar!"

A multi-pronged "precision strike" plan targeting the Somali alliance was quickly formulated under absolute secrecy.

This time, the Americans learned from the failure of the Three Friends Group's reckless actions and their methods were more cunning, covert, and deadly.

The storm first swept through the financial sector.

First, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against the East African Development Bank and several companies with close business ties to the Somali Alliance, on trumped-up charges such as “money laundering” and “support for terrorism.”

The US has frozen all of its assets in the US and related to the US dollar clearing system. This means that these institutions have been virtually kicked out of the global mainstream financial system, and international settlements have suddenly become extremely difficult.

Following this, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, under the influence of the United States, suddenly announced the suspension of loan and technical assistance projects to all member countries of the Somali Union.

The reasons given were "lack of transparency in governance structure" and "risks to debt sustainability".

Almost simultaneously, several major credit rating agencies in New York and London downgraded the sovereign credit ratings of the Solomon Islands, Marseille, and their main allies, setting their outlook to "negative".

This has led to a sharp increase in the cost for member states to issue bonds on the international market, making it almost impossible to attract foreign investment.

This series of combined measures was swift and ruthless, aimed at cutting off the Somali alliance's external funding chain and creating financial panic.

Although EASU can circulate within the alliance, the alliance's development heavily relies on the procurement of equipment, technology, and high-value-added goods from outside, and these transactions are currently not entirely free from the US dollar.

With the sanctions in place, many ongoing projects immediately faced the risk of being halted.

At the Royal Palace in Marseille, Ye Rou's brow was furrowed. The Finance Minister was reporting on the grim situation:

"Your Majesty, our foreign exchange reserves are being depleted rapidly, and several key import projects are facing disruption due to inability to make payments. Panic is emerging in the market, and the black market exchange rate of EASU against the US dollar has begun to fluctuate significantly."

Ye Mei's situation is equally dire; the East African Development Bank, which she leads, is almost paralyzed.

"The Americans are trying to strangle us!" she said to Ye Rou through gritted teeth. "They don't dare to use force openly, so they resort to these underhanded economic tactics!"

While the financial attack was underway, a political subversion campaign targeting the alliance was also quietly taking place.

US intelligence agencies, leveraging their extensive networks in Africa, used large sums of money to bribe and coerce opposition figures, tribal chiefs, and powerful military officials in several Somali-affiliated countries. Immediately, various rumors spread:

"The Solomon Islands and Marseilles want to turn us all into their economic colonies!"

"EASU is just a piece of waste paper; it will eventually become worthless!"

"Following Somalia will only lead to US sanctions and everyone dying of poverty!"

In a member state of the alliance called "Lu," the opposition party, with the support of the United States, launched a large-scale street protest.

They demanded to withdraw from the Organization for East African Development and re-embrace the US dollar.

Protesters stormed government buildings and clashed with police, and the situation briefly spiraled out of control.

In another country, "Burma," a general with military power, tempted by the promise of military aid from the United States, plotted a coup to overthrow the pro-Soma government.

Cracks began to appear within the alliance, and some member governments that were not so steadfast to begin with wavering began to privately contact the United States, seeking the possibility of compromise.

At the Prime Minister's residence in the Kingdom of Solomon, Yang San received an urgent military report from the front lines, his face turning ashen.

"Damn it! I knew they'd pull this! If they can't win, they'll resort to dirty tricks!"

He immediately ordered the Somali Joint Rapid Reaction Force to enter a state of high alert, and at the same time dispatched elite troops to the vicinity of the borders of several key allies under the guise of "joint counter-terrorism exercises," forming a powerful military deterrent to intimidate those internal forces with ulterior motives.

"Tell those opportunists!" Yang San roared into the phone, "Anyone who dares to stab us in the back at this time, my tanks will be the first to drive to their doorstep! Don't forget, their presidential guard equipment was practically given to us by me!"

The world's major Western media outlets have been operating at full capacity, publishing extensive reports on the Somali Alliance's "human rights issues," "authoritarian rule," and "expansionist ambitions," portraying it as an "axis of evil" that undermines regional stability and threatens democracy and freedom.

At the same time, they exaggerated EASU's "unreliability" and "fraud," and downplayed the alliance's economic prospects.

Even more insidious, a series of "unexpected" events occurred in succession:
A cargo ship carrying critical industrial equipment to Somalia was "attacked" by pirates near the Gulf of Aden. However, the attack was carried out with exceptional professionalism, and the pirates disappeared without a trace afterward.

A backbone fiber optic communication cable, built with aid from Marseille and connecting allied countries, was "accidentally severed by a construction team" (but the investigation found the identity of the so-called "construction team" to be suspicious).

Even during a public event, Ye Rou's vehicle experienced a bizarre "brake failure," but fortunately, the experienced driver averted a dangerous situation.

After a thorough investigation, the security team sent by Qin Zheng discovered signs of sabotage, with clues vaguely pointing to a local mercenary organization supported by the CIA.

Faced with an exceptionally dangerous multi-dimensional attack from the United States, the Somali Alliance is facing its most severe survival crisis since its inception.

But Ye Rou, Ye Mei, and Yang San did not panic. They knew that retreat meant certain death.

"Win over allies!" After setting this tone, Ye Rou personally engaged in intensive telephone diplomacy, seeking understanding and support from countries like Russia and China, which also suffered from US financial hegemony and long-arm jurisdiction.

She skillfully exploited the conflicts between major powers to secure some unofficial and roundabout channels for economic and technical assistance.

In particular, there was a full-scale injection of resources from military reclamation cities and the soldier group system. Although it could not completely offset the impact of sanctions, it stabilized the core of the economy.

"Building consensus" was her second step in the plan, and she quickly convened an emergency summit of the heads of state of all member states of the alliance.

At the meeting, she did not shy away from the difficulties, but frankly released a great deal of evidence of US subversion and showcased the data on the achievements of the alliance's joint development.

She emphasized that "division will only lead to defeat, while unity brings hope." Her sincerity and vision won the support of most leaders, and the meeting adopted the "Emergency Declaration on Alliance Unity and Security," unanimously agreeing to overcome the difficulties together. "Reassuring the public" was her third step in the plan.

Ye Rou frequently appeared in domestic media, delivering calm yet firm speeches, announcing countermeasures, and stabilizing public sentiment.

She ordered a crackdown on hoarding and market disruption, and used national reserves to stabilize prices and ensure the supply of basic necessities.

Ye Mei, of course, was not idle either; she spearheaded both "financial innovation" and "industrial self-rescue":
"Avoid SWIFT!"

Ye Mei and her technical team (with strong remote support from Huang Shanshan) worked day and night to accelerate the development of a blockchain-based, independent cross-border settlement platform for the consortium and friendly countries, separate from the SWIFT system.

Although initially limited in scope, this is a crucial breakthrough aimed at gradually reducing reliance on dollar clearing channels.

"Barter trade settled in local currency."

She strongly advocated for the alliance to engage in larger-scale barter trade with countries unwilling to fully comply with U.S. sanctions (exchanging African minerals and agricultural products for much-needed oil and industrial goods).

And it is trying to establish local currency settlement mechanisms with some emerging market countries, even if the scale is small, it is gradually trying to undermine the US dollar.

"Accelerate import substitution." Ye Mei's plan was also meticulous and thorough.

At the same time, the US sanctions have forced the alliance to accelerate the development of its domestic industries.

Ye Mei utilized the technical support of the military reclamation city to concentrate resources on tackling the localization (or production within the alliance) of some key components and equipment. Although there were many difficulties in the short term, in the long run it was the only way to get rid of dependence.

Yang San, of course, wouldn't be idle either. He devised a strategy of "Iron Fist Deterrence" and "Special Operations":
First, Yang San upgraded the scale of the joint rapid reaction force exercise, publicly showcased some new equipment, and clearly warned that any external military intervention or internal rebellion would be met with "devastating blows".

His tough stance effectively prevented the worst-case scenario from occurring.

Next, "targeted elimination." Yang San showed no mercy to the US-backed rebel leaders and mercenary organizations.

With the precise intelligence support provided by Qin Zheng, he dispatched his most elite special forces team to launch a series of swift and unexpected "counter-terrorism operations."

The precise elimination of several key figures who planned the attacks and subversive activities dealt a significant blow to the arrogance of the enemy.

One of the operations even resulted in the capture of a CIA field coordinator, who was eventually expelled due to diplomatic pressure, but a wealth of valuable confessions and evidence were obtained.

Following the "maritime escort" mission, Yang San personally led an enhanced version of the Solomon Islands navy (though small in size, it was well-equipped and its personnel were highly trained) to provide armed escort for merchant ships traveling to and from the Alliance ports, effectively curbing "pirate" attacks.

He also deliberately positioned the escort route close to the operational areas of certain major powers' navies, adopting a "barefoot but not afraid of those wearing shoes" attitude to make the other side hesitate to act.

Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate in the financial, political, and military fields, Huang Shanshan's "Hive" cyber warfare unit launched a decisive counterattack.

Shortly after the US imposed sanctions, Huang Shanshan was determined to take action. Utilizing the powerful infiltration capabilities of the "Hive" system, she quietly infiltrated the network systems of the US Treasury Department, State Department, and related think tanks that spearheaded the sanctions.

After a long and patient data mining process, she finally found the bombshell:

Numerous internal emails and documents show that the U.S. accusations of "terrorism" against the Somali alliance are completely fabricated and deliberately framed for geopolitical purposes.

• The evidence is overwhelmingly clear on how U.S. intelligence agencies planned, funded, and directed riots and coup plots within the alliance.

Some documents even involve insider trading and the transfer of benefits that may have occurred between senior U.S. officials and their families in the decision-making process for related sanctions.

Huang Shanshan didn't choose to disclose this information directly, but instead played a more sophisticated trick.

She anonymously, in batches, and precisely delivered this sensitive information to her political opponents in the United States, domestic opposition members of Congress, and several international investigative journalist organizations known for uncovering the truth.

The incident immediately caused an uproar in the United States. Criticisms such as "abuse of sanctions power," "using any means to maintain hegemony," and "hypocritical double standards" arose one after another.

Congress was forced to launch an investigation, leaving the named officials overwhelmed and exhausted. The US government's moral image and international credibility suffered a severe blow.

This "backstab" from cyberspace greatly distracted the US government and disrupted its subsequent attack plans.

While the sanctions cannot be lifted immediately, they force the United States to exercise restraint when taking further extreme measures.

After months of fierce fighting, the Somali alliance, though battered and economically devastated by the dangerous retaliation from the United States, ultimately did not collapse.

The alliance became more united during the crisis, and EASU struggled to survive in adversity. Although its internationalization process was hindered, its foundation within the alliance became more solid.

Ye Rou, Ye Mei, and Yang San's coping strategies demonstrated remarkable resilience and wisdom.

The United States also realized that, in the face of a regional alliance that is internally united and has considerable strength (especially with the support of unconventional and mysterious forces like Military Reclamation City), simple economic sanctions and covert subversion would not be effective in a short time, but might instead lead to a long-term drain and damage its own reputation.

The situation has reached a delicate stalemate. On the surface, sanctions remain and pressure persists, but the most dangerous storm seems to have passed.

One evening, Yang San and Ye Mei stood side by side on the beach in the capital of the So Kingdom, watching the harbor under the setting sun. Although the ships were not coming and going as frequently as before, they were still orderly.

"Damn it, we finally made it through this hurdle." Yang San exhaled a breath of stale air, his face showing exhaustion, but his eyes remained sharp. "Those Americans aren't so scary after all!"

Ye Mei leaned on his shoulder and whispered, "We held on, but at a huge cost. Many projects were halted, and people's living standards have declined. This battle is not over yet."

“I know.” Yang San hugged her tighter. “But at least we proved that they can’t easily strangle us! EASU is still here, the alliance is still here! Next, it’s a contest of who can endure longer and find a new way out.”

Ye Mei nodded: "Shanshan has done a great job this time. The support from our two fathers is crucial. We are not fighting alone."

Yang San looked eastward, towards the military reclamation city, and also towards a wider world.

"Yeah, it's not just one person. This time, we're really going head-to-head with the Americans. Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later anyway. From now on, let's have some fun and see who has the last laugh!"

The sea breeze carries a salty, fishy scent, a hint of calm after the smoke of battle has cleared, and a harbinger of a longer, more complex struggle to come.

The rise of the Somali Alliance is destined to be fraught with difficulties, but after this ordeal, their will is stronger, and their future strategies will undoubtedly be more mature and sophisticated.

In their first tough battle to challenge the US dollar's dominance, they barely held their ground, but an even bigger storm may be brewing behind them.

However, Ye Feng took no action this time, remaining in hiding... (End of Chapter)