I built an armada.

Don't agree?
Long Xia's so-called "strategic adjustment" is like the sword of Damocles hanging over our heads. No one knows what kind of thunderous strike will come after midnight.

"They're trying to drive us to our deaths!"

The cabinet chief's voice was hoarse with a hint of despair, "They want to use this opportunity to completely suppress us and make us unable to hold our heads high in the Eastern Seas forever!"

A Foreign Ministry official stepped forward, steeling himself: "Your Excellency, now is not the time to lose your temper. Longxia has given us a final deadline; we must respond by midnight today. How we respond concerns the fate of the nation and requires an immediate decision."

"Respond? How should we respond?"

The cabinet chief glared at him, his eyes fierce. "Are you going to kneel down and apologize as they demand? Or are you going to refuse outright and wait for their warships to arrive?"

At that moment, the conference room fell into a deathly silence; no one could answer the question.

This is a dead end, a dilemma: to live in humiliation or to fight against great risks?

A secretary cautiously entered and reported in a low voice: "Your Excellency, the Eagle Tribe's ambassador to our country requests an urgent meeting."

A barely perceptible glint flashed in the eyes of the cabinet chief, as if he had grasped at the last straw.

"Please!"

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the panic and anger in his heart, and straightened his crooked tie.

Now, perhaps all he can rely on is the attitude of the Eagle Tribe.

Although the thoughts of that great chieftain of the Eagle Tribe, far away, are equally unfathomable.

Long Xia's announcement was like a lightning bolt piercing the night sky, instantly illuminating the intricate chess game in the Eastern Continent's seas and allowing all the players to see their own and their opponents' positions.

There are only a dozen hours left until the final deadline.

These ten-plus hours are destined to be a crucial moment, with countless diplomatic radio waves frantically shuttling back and forth, and countless conspiracies brewing in the shadows.

Beneath the calm surface of the sea, thunder had already roared.

Kyoto, the capital of the Eastern Wilderness Tribe.

The morning mist had not yet completely dissipated, but the Cabinet Building was already brightly lit.

One after another, black official cars pierced the morning mist and hurriedly drove through the heavily guarded gate, coming to an abrupt stop at the main entrance without even having time to stop in the designated spot as usual.

The car doors opened, and ministers dressed in dark suits with solemn expressions hurriedly entered the building, surrounded by their entourages.

They received urgent notices from the Chief Cabinet Secretary while they were asleep or on their breakfast tables, requiring them to immediately and unconditionally attend a top-level meeting in the Cabinet meeting room.

The unprecedented urgency in the notification cast an ominous shadow over everyone's hearts.

"What happened? Could it be something to do with Long Xia...?"

"I don't know, but who else could be called up at this time of emergency besides them?"

"Could it be that the Eagle Tribe has given new instructions?"

"Who knows? They've summoned us so late. Something big must have happened. It's really a turbulent time for our Eastern Wilderness tribe."

Amidst whispered guesses and exchanged glances, the ministers pushed open the heavy door to the conference room.

To their surprise, the head of the cabinet was already seated in the main seat, his hands crossed on the smooth tabletop, his back ramrod straight.

His face was expressionless, as if he were wearing a cold mask, but his bloodshot eyes and the weariness and solemnity between his brows that could not be completely concealed revealed that he may have not slept all night, or had been waiting here for even longer.

The atmosphere in the meeting room became even more oppressive due to the early arrival and unusually serious demeanor of the cabinet head. The aide-de-camp silently closed the door, isolating the inside from the outside.

There were no small talk, no customary opening remarks.

The cabinet leader didn't even look up at his colleagues who were taking their seats; he simply pushed a thin document in front of him to the center of the table with his fingertips.

"Let's take a look."

His voice was hoarse and cold, like metal spun by a cold wind, “The Foreign Affairs Department of the Dragon Summer Tribe has just released an announcement to the world.”

The Foreign Minister, who was closest to him, picked up the document first, glanced at it, and his face instantly turned ashen.

He took a deep breath, as if it took immense courage to continue reading, and then silently handed the document to the Minister of Defense beside him.

The document, like a plague, was passed silently around the long table, and everyone who read it was quickly filled with shock, anger, and disbelief.

That was the full text of the announcement released by the Foreign Affairs Department of Longxia at 8:10 AM Beijing time:

The Eastern Wilderness tribe was severely criticized for its unwarranted provocation and dereliction of duty in the defeat.
They demanded a formal response by 24:00 today; they threatened to take "strategic adjustments," with Donghuang bearing all the consequences.

And then there was that meaningful warning to the entire East China Sea region: "Don't engage in any underhanded tactics."

"Baga! This is too much!"

Finally, a cabinet minister known for his tough stance couldn't hold back any longer and slammed his fist on the table, the dull thud breaking the deathly silence of the meeting room.

"What do they mean by this? An ultimatum? Who do they think they are? To give us orders at will!"

"They failed to provide an explanation for their defeat? It's clear they rejected all our requests for negotiation! They offered humiliating terms that we could never accept!"

Another bald minister trembled with rage, his voice shrill, "Now they're turning around and blaming us for refusing to communicate! They're making a fool of us! They're treating us like monkeys!"

"And this last sentence, 'Hopefully,' the nations of the Eastern Seas will refrain from making any underhanded moves?"

The Defense Minister's face turned ashen. "This is clearly a warning to all countries that might cooperate with us or the Eagle Tribe! This is a threat! A blatant threat to us and our potential allies! They want to completely isolate us!"

Anger erupted like a volcano, spreading rapidly throughout the conference room.

The ministers were outraged, feeling they had been insulted and provoked like never before.

The defeat in the last naval battle had already put the entire cabinet under tremendous domestic pressure and caused them to lose face.

Long Xia's ruthless and increasingly aggressive announcement is like rubbing salt into their wounds and making this humiliation public.

Once the anger of the crowd had subsided somewhat, the cabinet leader slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over every face contorted with rage.

His voice remained cold, but now carried a heavy weariness: "Gentlemen, anger will not solve anything. You are all aware of the current situation. The Dragonxia Tribe has rejected all our previous attempts at informal communication, taking a hard line." "They only gave us... less than 16 hours."

He raised his wrist and glanced at the time, a gesture that seemed to carry immense weight.

"Sixteen hours. Let us consider how to 'respond'."

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of the cabinet chief's mouth. "But even if we give them a reply, will they be satisfied? What exactly is their so-called 'strategic adjustment'?"

"We need to weigh and decide all of this ourselves."

He paused, then said, word by word, "Our decision at this moment will determine the future fate of the Eastern Wilderness Tribe."

After this series of events, the cabinet leader was very clear that the Eagle Tribe would not stand up for them at this time, and they could only face the wrath of the Dragon Summer Tribe alone!

These words were like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing some of the anger in everyone's hearts, replacing it with a chilling cold and a great sense of bewilderment.

To agree? That would mean humiliation, the cabinet could collapse immediately, and nationalist sentiment in the country would erupt like a volcano.

Refuse? Longxia's "strategic adjustment" is like a sword hanging over their heads. No one can predict where it will strike. It could be more severe economic sanctions, a maritime blockade, or even... a direct military strike.

Is it to endure humiliation and live a life of ignominy?

Is it better to be a broken piece of jade than a whole piece of tile?
At that moment, the conference room fell into a terrifying silence.

Every minister lowered their head, their brows furrowed, engaged in a fierce internal struggle.

This is destined to be a difficult choice; no matter which side you choose, it seems like an abyss lies ahead.

While the cabinet leaders were struggling to weigh their options in private, the announcement from the Longxia Foreign Affairs Department had already spread like wildfire across the Eastern Wilderness tribes' networks.

The headlines on major news websites were quickly replaced, and related terms instantly dominated the trending topics on social media.

However, unlike the usual clamor and insults that often occurred when the topic of Longxia was mentioned, this time, the cyberspace of the Eastern Wilderness Tribe was filled with a sense of desolation and despair, as if they had lost their parents.

"It's over...it's really over this time..."

"The Longxia people... they're trying to drive us to our deaths!"

"Damn it! Those damned Longxia people! They clearly don't want us to live! They're so domineering and shameless!"

"We suffered heavy losses in the last naval battle, so many of our heroes are still restless, and their navy is still 'patrolling' our doorstep from time to time... Now, we've received this final ultimatum!"

"This is outrageous! Absolutely outrageous! We accept defeat, but their relentless and aggressive behavior shows no magnanimity whatsoever as a great power!"

The comments section and social networks are filled with complaints from netizens in Donghuang.

They felt that the defeat in the last naval battle had just awakened them from their dream of "imperial glory" and plunged them into the icy abyss of reality, and this new announcement was like another heavy hammer blow, completely plunging them into the abyss of despair.

"Look at Blue Star, which country can help us? The Eagle Tribe? Our 'godfather'? Besides verbal support, have they given us any substantial help? Now the Dragon Xia people have even warned other countries that wanted to help! Who would dare to stand up?"

“Even the Eagle Tribe is silent… We have been abandoned…”

"What else can we do besides despair? What solutions can those cabinet gentlemen come up with besides arguing?"

"I'm afraid... I'm afraid the leaders won't be able to withstand the pressure and will choose to surrender again... If that happens, the price we have to pay will probably be a hundred times worse than the defeat itself! Ceding territory? Paying reparations? Or becoming a complete vassal state?"

Panic, anger, helplessness, and deep concern for the future of the country... all sorts of negative emotions intertwined and fermented in cyberspace.

A pessimistic view that "the country is no longer a country" has begun to quietly spread.

This announcement from the Longxia tribe not only exerted political pressure, but also dealt a precise and heavy blow to the morale of the entire Eastern Wilderness tribe.

In stark contrast to the gloomy atmosphere in the Eastern Wilderness Tribe, the Dragon Summer Tribe was filled with an atmosphere of almost boiling jubilation.

The announcement from the Longxia Tribe's Foreign Affairs Department immediately made headlines and appeared in emergency news segments on all major domestic media outlets.

Within just over ten minutes, the news spread throughout the country, sparking heated discussions among the entire nation.

On "Tiexue Forum," the most influential military enthusiast forum in Longxia, the announcement from the Foreign Affairs Department was prominently displayed at the very top of the homepage by the administrator in bright red with the word "Explosive."

The number of clicks and replies to the post skyrocketed at an astonishing rate, and the server even experienced a brief lag.

"Powerful! Imposing! This is the attitude that Dragon Xia should have!"

"It should have been done a long time ago! Those scoundrels in the Eastern Wilderness, if we don't teach them a lesson, do they really think we're still the same as we were decades ago?"

"You think you can just play dead and get away with it after losing the battle? There's no such thing as a free lunch! You have to give an explanation!"

"An ultimatum! That's so inspiring! Seeing the words 'The Eastern Wilderness Tribes will bear all the consequences' makes my blood boil!"

The forum was filled with comments expressing excitement, pride, and a sense of triumph. Netizens generally viewed this move as a landmark event signifying Longxia's powerful rise and its defense of its core interests.

Soon, some observant netizens noticed that today seemed to be an auspicious day.

"Brothers, have you noticed? Today is practically a double celebration!"

"That's right! The news at around 7 a.m. reported that the latest batch of over 300 top overseas research talents from our 'Spring Seedling Action' has safely arrived in China. This is a significant achievement in the orderly repatriation of talent!"

"And the navy! The official announcement just came out that our fleet, which visited Europe, has successfully completed all its missions and is setting sail to return home. The estimated arrival time at its home port has been confirmed! This is a triumphant return!"

"And now this ultimatum to the Eastern Wilderness... a triple celebration! We must have a drink to celebrate today!"

The connection between these three events further fueled netizens' national pride and their boundless aspirations for the country's future.

The return of overseas talent signifies the future of technological development.

The navy's return from its long voyage symbolizes the steady realization of the dream of a strong military.

The tough stance taken against Donghuang demonstrates a firm determination to defend national interests.

Of course, the most heated discussion was about how the Eastern Wilderness tribes would ultimately respond and what price they would pay.

"I bet five cents that those people in the Eastern Wilderness Cabinet are definitely like ants on a hot pan right now!"

"Do they dare refuse? Try refusing! Our navy's 'strategic adjustment' will be something they'll never forget!" (End of Chapter)