I built an armada.

The intelligence officer steadied himself and reported rapidly: "Confirmed! The Foreign Affairs Department of the Eastern Wilderness Tribe issued a global announcement through all its official channels 30 seconds ago."

"The announcement states that the cabinet members, led by the head of the cabinet, on behalf of all the people of the Eastern Wilderness, surrender unconditionally to the Dragon Summer Tribe."

"And promised to discuss specific surrender matters with the Longxia tribe within the next three days."

"Unconditional surrender... in three days..."

Cruise repeated these keywords in a low voice, a hint of mockery on his face. "At least they were smart enough to make the only right choice at the last moment."

He walked to the liquor cabinet, poured himself and Coro a glass of whiskey, and handed one to Coro, saying, "Cheers to our upcoming transfers."

Koro took the glass and lightly clinked it against Cruise's: "I hope the transfer order comes down soon. I don't want to stay in this godforsaken place for another day."

The crisp sound of glasses clinking contrasted sharply with the faint, deathly silence coming from the direction of the Eastern Wilderness outside the command center.

For Cruise and Koro, the humiliation of the Eastern Wilderness was irrelevant; they only cared about leaving the eye of the storm as soon as possible.

The surrender announcement from the Eastern Wilderness Tribe was like pouring a ladle of cold water into a pot of boiling oil, instantly triggering a complex reaction on the planet Earth.

After confirming the authenticity of the news, the power centers of major countries generally breathed a sigh of relief.

The leaders of the European countries put down their emergency plans and rubbed their temples: "Although it was humiliating, at least the worst armed conflict was avoided, and the maritime area around the East Asia should be stable in the short term."

Inside the black palace of the Eagle Tribe, after listening to the briefing, the Great Chief merely snorted coldly without offering much comment, but his tense shoulders relaxed slightly as he refocused his attention entirely on his "Dark Night Plan."

The international community has differing opinions on the fact that the Eastern Wilderness tribes have once again bowed their heads before the Dragon Xia.

Some countries view it as an inevitable consequence of the survival of the fittest, while others feel a touch of pity, but most adopt a detached, "spectator" mentality.

"The Eastern Wilderness Tribe ultimately couldn't hold out until the end and announced their surrender. But that's good in a way; at least we don't have to worry about fighting again!"

"We've been looking forward to this show for so many days, but the Eastern Wilderness people finally backed down and surrendered. It seems like this is the second time, right? They really don't learn their lesson."

"It's not just a possibility, it's a fact. Eighteen months have passed since the first surrender, and now we're facing the second. Last time, the old chieftain of the Eastern Wilderness took full responsibility. I wonder who will take the blame this time. The head of the cabinet or the entire cabinet?"

"Why worry so much? We'll just enjoy the show and wake up. This is a huge story, and it's going to be interesting, but we won't get any benefits from it anyway."

"Although I am in South America, the situation here is not very stable. I am very fortunate that I am not in the waters of the East China Sea, otherwise I am afraid that I would be tormented by this."

After all, this was not the first time Donghuang had tasted the bitter fruit of defeat. It seemed that history was repeating itself, only this time the victor was the more ruthless Longxia.

However, within the Eastern Wilderness tribes, this announcement brought not relief, but rather a wave of immense sorrow and despair that swept the entire nation.

Within minutes of the announcement, the entire society of the Eastern Wilderness seemed to have been plunged into an ice cave.

On the streets and alleys, countless people who had been waiting in front of their televisions and radios were struck dumb the moment they heard the announcement.

"No—! How can we surrender!"

"A humiliating disgrace! This is a national disgrace! Who allowed the cabinet to do this? What right do they have to surrender on our behalf? They can surrender if they want, but I disagree. I'm going to take a broom and fight the Dragon Xia Navy to the death!"

"How can we face the spirits of our fallen heroes! This is an outrage against heaven! Eighteen months later, we surrendered again. Have we made surrendering a habit? Baka! Why does Amaterasu no longer bless us, the people of the Eastern Wilderness?"

"Heaven has no eyes! It has abandoned us, the great people of the Eastern Wilderness. We have become orphans who can be bullied by everyone. Is there not a single person on Earth who will stand up for justice?"

Sorrowful cries and angry roars echoed in many places, spreading to almost every corner of the entire Eastern Wilderness tribe.

Some people knelt on the ground, beating their chests and stamping their feet, weeping bitterly, as if the sky had fallen and the earth had collapsed.

In a few areas where extreme conservatives and right-wing forces are concentrated, some people even committed seppuku in public, expressing their strong protest against the decision to surrender in such a tragic way, using the end of their lives to maintain the "samurai dignity" that they had long since lost.

But no matter how much they protest or grieve, the decision made by the head of the cabinet and his core ministers cannot be changed.

The state apparatus began to operate coldly, preparing for the subsequent surrender process.

The public's grief and indignation appeared so pale and powerless in the face of the absolute disparity in strength and the cruel reality.

In this tragedy that swept across the entire Eastern Wilderness, there was a special group that suffered double the pain—the “new Eastern Wilderness people” who had migrated from the Longxia tribe to the Eastern Wilderness in recent years.

Many of them, fearing repercussions, stayed home during the ultimatum period and dared not go out.

However, after the surrender announcement, some radical people from the Eastern Wilderness transferred their humiliation and anger from the defeat to these "outsiders" with Longxia faces.

Incidents of vandalism, attacks on residences, verbal abuse, and even violent assaults have sporadically occurred in several cities.

"It's all because of you Longxia people!"

“You people of Longxia deserve to die! How can our land tolerate such despicable and shameless people? They must be driven out!”

"Get out! Get out!"

Helpless cries and violent roars intertwined, and some extreme natives of the Eastern Wilderness even took to the streets and attacked and killed any new immigrants they saw!

They even conspired together to hunt down the people of the New Eastern Wilderness in order to vent their anger and discontent!

For these new immigrants, this day was not only a "tragic day" for the people of the Eastern Wilderness, but also a "day of lifelong regret" for them.

The decision to leave Longxia in search of a so-called "better life" now seems so ironic and ridiculous.

In stark contrast to the nationwide grief of the Eastern Wilderness tribes, the atmosphere of celebration within the Dragon Xia Kingdom was almost explosive.

The Tiexue forum has millions of users, and the server crashed completely the moment the announcement was released. It was only restored several minutes later with the help of technical staff.

The restored homepage is now filled with posts saying "Victory!", "Long live Dragon Xia!", and "The Navy is mighty!"

"Hahahaha! The Japanese have indeed knelt down! They've surrendered again! History always repeats itself!" "Now let's see who dares to question our navy's dominant position in the waters of East Asia! This kneeling has paved the way for our peaceful development over the next thirty years!"

"I thought they'd be tough, but they're such cowards! They chickened out before the fight even started. I really overestimated them!"

Netizens expressed their excitement and joy, their tone filled with pride and disdain for Donghuang.

Not only online, but from the northern border to the southern islands, from the western regions to the East China Sea, countless cities and villages spontaneously erupted in cheers, and the sound of firecrackers could be heard in some non-banned areas, with the people immersed in a sea of ​​jubilation.

However, the atmosphere in the supreme commander's office at the Longxia Naval Headquarters military base was much calmer and more somber.

Major General Zhang Zhaoxin strode into Xu Dongguo's office, his face beaming with barely suppressed excitement: "Commander! The Eastern Wilderness Foreign Affairs Department has officially issued a statement announcing unconditional surrender!"

Xu Dongguo was sitting behind his desk, holding a document in his hand. Hearing this, he merely raised his eyes, showing little surprise on his face.

He frowned slightly instead: "They only surrendered at the last minute. It seems they still have a glimmer of hope. They won't shed tears until they see the coffin."

His tone was cold, clearly indicating his dissatisfaction with the Eastern Wilderness's delay until the last minute.

"Since they have chosen to surrender, then let's do it the rules."

Xu Dongguo put down the document, his tone leaving no room for argument, "Referring to the last situation, give them three days. Within three days, have them send a plenipotentiary representative to negotiate the specifics. The location... will be Donghai City in our country."

He hesitated for a moment, then looked sharply at Zhang Zhaoxin: "Originally, I wanted Dingping to liaise with the representatives from the Eastern Wilderness. He knows best what we need and can maximize our technical interests. However..."

Xu Dongguo paused, then shook his head. "Times have changed. Dingping's identity and the tasks he shoulders are no longer suitable for him to directly handle such specific diplomatic games."

His gaze fell on Zhang Zhaoxin: "Zhaoxin, this task is assigned to you. You will lead the formation of a negotiation team and be responsible for liaising and preliminary consultations with the representatives of Donghuang."

Zhang Zhaoxin's face immediately showed a troubled expression: "Commander, this... I'm mainly responsible for intelligence and operational planning. I have no experience in diplomatic negotiations, especially... surrender negotiations! Commander Su, back then..."

"It was because he did a good job back then that things turned out the way they did!"

Xu Dongguo interrupted him, his tone serious, "Now he has an even heavier burden on his shoulders, and he can't afford to let these things distract him. You are a senior officer in our navy, do you not even have the courage to deal with the defeated?"

"I don't ask for much, at the very least, it can't be too much worse than what Dingping did back then!"

Seeing the unquestionable look in Xu Dongguo's eyes, Zhang Zhaoxin knew he couldn't refuse, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree: "Yes, Commander! I...I will do my best!"

He secretly lamented to himself that Su Dingping had secured huge benefits for Longxia at the negotiating table with his accurate technical insight and tough stance. How could he compare?

After leaving Xu Dongguo's office, Zhang Zhaoxin frowned and pondered for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up: "That's it! Let's go and learn from Chief Su! Even if he can't participate directly, he can still give us some pointers, right?"

East Wilderness Outer Sea, Second Combat Chain, Main Control Room of 10,000-ton Destroyer.

With less than a minute remaining until the scheduled attack time of 23:45 PM, the attack was imminent.

All attack units are ready, and the operators' fingers hover over the launch button, awaiting the captain's final command.

Colonel Cao Youren stared intently at the countdown on the screen, his eyes burning with the flames of battle, his chest brimming with the power about to be unleashed.

"10, 9, 8..." Someone began to count down in a low voice.

At this critical moment, the communications officer suddenly looked up and reported loudly: "Captain! Urgent! Headquarters order! Operation canceled! Repeat, operation canceled! The Eastern Wilderness Tribe has issued a notice of unconditional surrender!"

"what?!"

Cao Youren turned his head sharply, his face full of astonishment and a hint of... disappointment?
The power that had been gathering momentum suddenly lost its target, leaving him feeling suffocated.

"Surrendered? Just like that? I've already heated up my cannon!" He couldn't help but curse.

In the control room, the tense atmosphere paused for a moment, then a complex emotion spread, a mixture of relaxation and a sense of lingering satisfaction.

Cao Youren slammed his fist heavily on the control panel, making a dull thud, then waved his hand helplessly: "Notify all units to deactivate and maintain level two alert. Ceasefire! We'll make further decisions based on developments!"

"understand!"

The same instructions were transmitted to all front-line command ships, including Captain Chen and Captain Dong, at almost the same time.

The sharp blade that was originally pointing towards the Eastern Wilderness slowly returned to its sheath just before it was drawn.

On the sea, the suffocating killing intent quietly dissipated, but the powerful deterrent force of the Longxia Navy had been deeply etched into the hearts of everyone who witnessed this scene.

Several hours later, in a confidential conference room at the Longxia Tribe's integrated naval military factory.

Zhang Zhaoxin found Su Dingping, who was discussing a problem with several core engineers.

While waiting for Su Dingping to take a short break, Zhang Zhaoxin quickly stepped forward and poured out his troubles and the tasks Xu Dongguo had assigned him.

Su Dingping listened, his face still bearing that gentle yet focused expression. He didn't offer any specific solutions directly, but instead smiled and asked Zhang Zhaoxin a few questions:
"Zhao Xin, why do you think we were able to force the Eastern Wilderness to surrender?"

"What is the most important thing we need to ensure when facing a defeated and surrendering opponent?"

How can technological advantages be transformed into a lasting bargaining chip at the negotiating table?

He didn't wait for Zhang Zhaoxin's reply, but simply patted him on the shoulder, his tone calm yet powerful: "Remember, what you can't get on the battlefield, you can never get at the negotiating table. And now, we've just gotten everything on the battlefield."

"Your attitude must be firm. You must be resolute in your decision!"

After saying that, Su Dingping turned around and continued his discussion with the engineer, as if they had just had a very ordinary chat.

However, Zhang Zhaoxin stood there, pondering Su Dingping's seemingly simple words, his eyes growing brighter. His previous confusion and anxiety vanished, replaced by a clear mind and unwavering conviction. (End of Chapter)