I built an armada.

"Pass the order."

Murashita Hayaki's voice was a little hoarse as he tried to remain calm. "All monitoring units must maintain the highest alert level, but... without orders, no provocative behavior is permitted."

"At the same time, report the situation here to the highest command immediately."

He knew all too well that any rash action against Long Xia could have disastrous consequences.

Aside from close surveillance and reporting to his superiors, all he could do at this moment seemed to be sighing helplessly.

The sea breeze still blew in from outside the window, but it could no longer carry away the almost stagnant, heavy atmosphere in the command room.

On the distant sea, Longxia's warships still stand tall like an iron wall, the dragon flag on their masts fluttering proudly in the wind against the azure sky. A new era is sweeping in with unstoppable force.

The communications officer just reported that the radar detected 16 warships that stopped 30 kilometers away from the Donghuang tribe.

Why is that? Isn't it to intimidate them with force?

In the past, he would never have been so cowardly as to order a retreat. Instead, he would have charged head-on and made the Longxia Navy's besieging fleet pay a heavy price no matter what!

But now, he's practically all alone!

Time flies, and eighteen months have passed since the Dragon Xia Navy last deployed troops in the waters off the Eastern Wilderness Tribe.

For the international community of Blue Star, the growth curve of the Longxia tribe's national power has remained steep over the past eighteen months, and the radius and determination of its power projection have increased day by day.

When the larger and more advanced fleet of the Longxia Navy reappeared in the waters surrounding the Eastern Wilderness Tribe and quickly began to encircle them, a chill that was even more profound and biting than before instantly swept through the entire Eastern Wilderness leadership.

This time, it's no longer a simple deterrent stop.

More than sixteen modern warships, including the latest 10,000-ton-class destroyers, stealth frigates, and replenishment ships, have laid a net across the vast ocean like pieces on a meticulously calculated chessboard.

Its formidable lineup and powerful combat capabilities left militaries around the world, who relied on satellite imagery and high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft for intelligence gathering, in awe.

After assessing the enemy fleet's anti-aircraft firepower, the remaining air force of the Eastern Wilderness tribes despairedly discovered that taking off with their own fighters would likely be a futile waste of resources, unable to shake this Great Wall of Steel.

At the military command center in the southwestern part of the Eastern Wilderness tribe, the atmosphere was even more oppressive than it had been eighteen months ago.

On the radar screen, the dot representing the Longxia warship was like an ever-expanding dark blue mark, firmly imprinted on the vital passage of the Eastern Wilderness.

"General Murashita!"

The vice commander's voice was filled with barely concealed panic. He strode over to Murashita Hayaki, who was still standing in front of the main screen. "The enemy... the enemy has begun their maneuver! How should we respond?"

The helpless heaviness on Murashita Hayaki's face eighteen months ago has now turned into an almost numb despair.

He slowly turned his head, his eyes sunken, his voice hoarse like a broken bellows: "Respond? What will we use to respond?"

He raised his hand and pointed to the screen, his finger trembling slightly: "The capable navy was wiped out one by one by Long Xia in the previous conflicts. Now, all that is left in the port are old ships that are easy targets when they go out to sea."

"The air force? Their role is very limited in the face of a fleet of this size, especially when the enemy has absolute area air defense superiority."

"Scramble to intercept? We'd probably be locked on and shot down by the enemy's carrier-based early warning aircraft and long-range missiles before we even saw the enemy ship."

He slumped back into his chair, as if all his strength had been drained: "We... have no more cards to play."

Just then, the radar operator's urgent voice broke the deathly silence of the command room: "Report! Dragon Summer Fleet movement detected!"

"Some ships remain in their original positions, but the main force, about ten ships, is splitting into two groups and maneuvering at high speed to the left and right flanks!"

"The intention... the intention is very clear: to completely encircle our tribe at sea!"

"Om-"

A suppressed gasp of surprise rippled through the command center.

Fully encircled!
This means not only military deterrence, but also a substantial maritime blockade, cutting off the maritime lifeline upon which Donghuang depends for survival.

Murashita Hayaki closed his eyes, took a deep breath, as if trying to inhale all the suffocating air into his lungs and then exhale it as a sigh.

He waved his hand weakly and said to his adjutant, "Inform the cabinet. Report the situation here immediately, in its entirety. Tell them that we... are powerless to do anything."

The news spread rapidly through the Eastern Wilderness tribes like a hurricane.

In the outer area near the naval base, some daring Japanese climbed to high places and used binoculars to look out at the distant sea.

When the densely packed, forest-like, and majestic Longxia fleet came into view, fear, like icy seawater, instantly overwhelmed them.

"Ten...sixteen ships! I saw at least sixteen!"

A middle-aged man's voice trembled, and he could barely hold the binoculars. "More and bigger than last time! What do they want?"

An elderly man standing nearby, who had experienced the previous incident, was deathly pale and muttered, "They're here again... They're here again... Remember last time? They just stopped there, and we were already... This time, they've moved, they're going to surround us!"

The fear of being dominated by the overwhelming power of the Longxia Navy in his memory resurfaced clearly, overlapping with the scene before him and amplifying his unease many times over.

Panic, like silent ripples, began on the coastline and spread inland.

The atmosphere in the Eastern Wilderness Cabinet was equally heavy, almost palpable.

The leader and several key cabinet ministers are having an emergency meeting.

Previously, through a series of diplomatic efforts and internal adjustments, they had barely managed to alleviate the crisis of the cabinet building being besieged by the public due to diplomatic setbacks.

However, before the old wounds had healed, new ones appeared, and this time it was a military crisis directly related to the life and death of the tribe.

"My Lord Chief!"

"If sea routes are completely blocked, our maritime and air transport will be devastated!" said a minister in charge of the economy in an anxious tone.

"More than 90% of energy imports, as well as a large amount of food and raw material supplies, will be disrupted! Inventories will not last more than a few months. At that time, industry will shut down, society will be in turmoil, the economy will be severely damaged, and it may even... collapse!"

"A decision must be made quickly, Chief!"

Another bald minister chimed in, “Whether it’s war or peace, there has to be a direction. The Longxia Navy’s move must have its political purpose. We need to figure out their bottom line as soon as possible and come up with a countermeasure.”

"Every moment of delay increases our losses!"

However, faced with the anxious gazes and urgent urging of his ministers, the cabinet chief fell into a long silence.

He sat in the main seat, his hands crossed and resting on his chin, his gaze lowered, staring at the clean tabletop as if the answers to his problems lay there.

But in reality, his mind was in complete turmoil.

To fight? That would be like throwing an egg against a rock. To make peace? With the enemy at our gates, the conditions would likely be extremely harsh.

Seeking outside help? Looking across the entire planet, who would dare risk a direct confrontation with Long Xia and wade into this mess?

The immense pressure and the powerless reality rendered the tribal leader speechless, leaving him only able to respond to this unprecedented predicament with silence.

Just as the Eastern Wilderness tribe was shrouded in the shadow of war and internal turmoil, in the distant Europa Sea region, another drama concerning dignity and the journey home was quietly coming to an end.

Leaders of European countries are also closely monitoring the tensions in the eastern seas.

The news that the Longxia Navy had once again surrounded the Eastern Wilderness filled them with mixed feelings.

On the one hand, they were pleased to see Longxia's power tied up in the East, thus reducing the pressure they might face.

On the other hand, the overwhelming and decisive action demonstrated by the Longxia Navy also made them deeply wary.

How to comment on this matter publicly has become a headache for their diplomatic department.

They couldn't provoke Longxia too much, nor could they appear indifferent to the plight of their ally, Donghuang.

However, they quickly reached a consensus on one thing and implemented it swiftly and decisively.

That is the issue of how to deal with the high-ranking talents from Longxia, such as Lu Xiangdong and Ma Jiancheng, who were secretly detained by them under various pretexts.

"Let him go."

The head of security affairs for a certain tribe rubbed his temples and ordered his subordinates, "Immediately, unconditionally release all detained Longxia researchers and technical experts. There can be no further delay."

The subordinate hesitated: "But what about the accusations we made before..."

"None of that matters anymore!"

The person in charge interrupted him, his tone tinged with annoyance, "Is this the time to worry about these things? The Longxia Navy has already shown the Eastern Wilderness what 'irreversible trend' means. Are we going to follow in the footsteps of the Eastern Wilderness?"

"Release them immediately! This is the top priority!"

Similar scenes played out in the capitals of several European tribes.

The previous actions of detaining Longxia's talents on trumped-up charges such as "national security" and "technology leaks" quickly collapsed in the face of Longxia's absolute strength.

In a secret detention center on the outskirts of the British tribal capital, Lu Xiangdong, Ma Jiancheng, and more than a dozen other top experts from various fields in Longxia have been imprisoned for several months.

They protested by going on hunger strikes, demanding fair treatment and the freedom to return home.

Despite their increasingly frail bodies, their will remained unbroken.

Not long ago, Ambassador Zhao of the Longxia tribe's embassy in Britain conveyed a message to them through extremely secretive channels.

The nation has not forgotten them and is doing everything it can to rescue them. The navy will come to take them home!

This news was like a lighthouse in the dark night, rekindling their hope and strengthening their resolve to continue enduring and waiting for their return.

That morning, the heavy iron door of the detention cell was opened from the outside.

The long-awaited sunlight streamed in, causing the crowd, accustomed to the dim light, to instinctively squint. Ambassador Zhao, dressed in a dignified black suit, strode in, accompanied by several British officials whose expressions appeared rather unnatural.

"Professor Lu! Engineer Ma! Comrades!"

Ambassador Zhao's voice was loud and powerful, echoing in the oppressive space: "On behalf of the motherland, I have come to welcome you home!"

For a moment, the cell was silent, then erupted into an uncontrollable outburst of emotion.

Several experts, all over fifty years old, had tears welling up in their eyes and their bodies trembled slightly with excitement.

“Go home… Ambassador Zhao, you mean we can go home?” Lu Xiangdong’s voice was choked with emotion, almost in disbelief.

"Yes, let's go home!"

Ambassador Zhao said firmly, his gaze sweeping over each of the tormented faces, “All obstacles have been cleared. You are free! In a few hours, our Longxia Navy ships will arrive in the nearby international waters.”

"Now, please follow me out of here. We'll go to the accommodations arranged by the embassy so that everyone can wash up, change into clean clothes, and have something to eat."

"Then, let's go home together!"

The word "go home" was spoken with particular emphasis and was filled with deep emotion.

"Okay! Go home!"

Ma Jiancheng clenched his fist forcefully, tears finally streaming down his face. The others also embraced each other excitedly, sobbing softly, repeating the two words: "Home...home!"

Just as Lu Xiangdong and his entourage followed Ambassador Zhao, walking out of the cage that had imprisoned them for so long with their heads held high, a piece of news destined to be recorded in history exploded like a thunderclap from the other side of Blue Star.

At approximately 9:18 AM British Tribal Time on the 19th, a Longxia naval fleet consisting of three advanced warships...

For the first time, and officially, and under completely autonomous navigation, it entered the core waters of the Europa Sea Circle!

The news spread instantly throughout the world via radio waves and the internet, and even triggered a massive frenzy of celebration within Longxia.

The Tiexue Military Forum was once again hit by a surge in traffic.

The number of online users skyrocketed, and each relevant post was refreshed in seconds.

"Great news! The Longxia Naval Fleet has appeared in the heart of the European waters! A historic moment!"

"Hail to the magnificent Chinese Navy! We are proud and proud! This is a groundbreaking voyage!"

"A century! More than a hundred years! We have finally waited for this day! Our fleet has arrived at their doorstep!"

"Do you still remember the humiliation in the history books? The 'Eight-Nation Alliance'... Now, our one family can look down on all the powerful!"

The forum was filled with passionate discussion.

Some netizens even posted a text that was supposedly written overnight by a leading Chinese historian in a moment of excitement, intended for inclusion in a history book. It adopted the traditional "Chinese folk" style of historical writing, which resonated with countless people and was widely shared.

"In the past, the armies of eight nations invaded the Qing Dynasty! With their superior ships and cannons, the nation's gates were shattered, and a treaty of surrender was signed, territories were ceded, and indemnities were paid. How tragic! How painful! The mountains and rivers wept blood, and the nation was sullied."

"Now, the Longxia Navy is going to seven countries alone! Banners cover the sea, giant ships cleave the waves, displaying their magnificent power, welcoming the worthy back to their homeland. How magnificent! How joyous! A century of national humiliation has been wiped away today! Hundreds of millions of compatriots raise their arms in celebration!"

This passage seems to carry so much weight, leaving a deep impression on people's hearts! (End of Chapter)