I built an armada.

What if he gets involved again as some kind of expert...?

Taro Kato felt a headache coming on.

He would rather face those shrewd and experienced professional foreign affairs officers than confront Su Dingping again, a "technocrat" who doesn't play by the rules but gets straight to the heart of the matter.

The plane pierced through the clouds and flew steadily toward Longxia Donghai City.

Outside the window was a clear blue sky and an endless sea, but Taro Kato's mood was as heavy and confused as the rolling clouds beneath the plane's wings.

He knew that what awaited him was a negotiation that would be far more difficult and humiliating than the last one.

He had no choice but to bite the bullet and fight for that last shred of "dignity" for his tribe, a shred that might not even exist.

Dawn had arrived, but for Taro Kato and the Eastern Wilderness tribe he represented, the road ahead remained a long, endless night.

For Taro Kato, the roar of the airplane engine was more like a tragic elegy playing for him.

Outside the porthole, the winding coastline of the Longxia tribe gradually came into view. The vast and vibrant land, at this moment, looked to him like the gaping maw of a giant beast.

He subconsciously tightened his tie, as if it could give him a tiny bit of security.

The same humiliating negotiation from several years ago uncontrollably surfaced in my mind.

At that time, he was also sitting at the negotiating table arranged by Longxia as a plenipotentiary representative.

The young man opposite him, named Su Dingping, was dressed in a simple dark jacket, and his eyes were as calm as a still lake.

But it was this lake that made him experience the fear of unfathomable depths.

When the two sides clashed over the details of technology transfer and industrial compensation, Su Dingping could accurately report the core data, technological bottlenecks, and even the advantages and disadvantages of alternative solutions for the relevant companies in Donghuang without even having to look through thick documents.

Every request he made was like a scalpel, precisely targeting the most vulnerable and irreplaceable link in the Donghuang industrial system.

Taro Kato and his large team of experts, with their pride in their professional knowledge and negotiation skills, appeared utterly pale and laughable in the face of the opponent's absolute information advantage and overwhelming logic.

That time, he couldn't keep up with Su Dingping's pace at all. All his excuses, delays, and attempts to change the subject were easily seen through and refuted by the other party.

During a break in the negotiations, he even saw the young man holding a pen and paper, seemingly working out some complex formula, as if the heated debate on the sidelines was less appealing than a math problem he was working on.

In the end, amidst the chaos and panic, he could only sign the preliminary letter of intent, which was almost a surrender, and practically fled the room that had humiliated him.

Even after he came down, he mobilized the military intelligence department and intelligence channels from all walks of life to conduct a comprehensive intelligence gathering on Su Dingping. In the end, the result was that the other party was just a senior translator from the Longxia Foreign Affairs Department.

I had studied engineering before, and my graduation thesis was an in-depth analysis of the national conditions of the Eastern Wilderness tribe.

Clearly, during the negotiations, the Longxia tribe deliberately allowed this young man, who had a deep understanding of the Eastern Wilderness tribes, to lead the negotiation process, catching them off guard!
That experience became a lingering shadow in Taro Kato's heart.

He was terrified of facing Su Dingping again. The feeling of being completely outmatched intellectually and having all his schemes exposed was more despairing than facing a thousand troops.

After a flight of several hours, the plane landed smoothly at Longxia Donghai International Airport.

The hatch opened, and Taro Kato took a deep breath of the slightly salty air, trying to calm his turbulent emotions.

At the VIP exit, he saw the reception staff sent by the Longxia Foreign Affairs Department, as well as an acquaintance—Ambassador Muye of the Longxia tribe, who was in charge of affairs in the Eastern Wilderness.

After a simple and formulaic exchange of pleasantries, Taro Kato could no longer contain his anxiety and, taking advantage of the opportunity to get closer, spoke in a very low voice.

He almost pleaded with Ambassador Makino, asking, "Among Ambassador Makino's questions... will your delegation include... His Excellency Su Dingping in this negotiation?"

Ambassador Makino wore a professional smile, but his gaze was deep and unfathomable. He gently shook his head: "Mr. Kato, the specific list of negotiating representatives is decided by higher authorities, and I am not aware of it."

"Please rest at the embassy first. Someone will pick you up this afternoon to take you to the meeting place."

One sentence is unclear...

This ambiguous answer made Taro Kato's heart sink again.

He would rather have a definite "yes" or "no" than endure this torment of uncertainty.

After being assigned to the Longxia tribe's embassy, ​​which was specifically for receiving foreign guests, Taro Kato felt extremely uneasy in his suite.

The bustling city outside the window, a scene of prosperity, stood in stark contrast to the heaviness in his heart.

He repeatedly rehearsed possible negotiation scenarios and considered various coping strategies, but when he thought of Su Dingping's young yet incredibly composed face, all his contingency plans seemed full of loopholes.

Time passed slowly in anxious waiting, which felt longer than a year to Taro Kato!
At exactly 2 p.m., a black sedan without any markings pulled up in front of the embassy.

Two officers dressed in Dragon Summer Navy uniforms and with stern expressions came to pick him up. After verifying Kato Taro's identity, they silently gestured for him to get into the car.

The vehicle drove through the bustling city center and headed towards the relatively quiet suburbs, eventually entering a heavily guarded compound with a sign that read "Longxia Navy East China Sea Regional Office" hanging at the entrance.

Taro Kato was led into an inconspicuous little building and into a simply furnished, even somewhat plain, conference room.

His gaze swept across the conference room instantly, searching for Su Dingping's figure like radar!
On the other side of the long table sat only one person: a middle-aged military officer with the rank of senior colonel, a resolute face, and sharp, eagle-like eyes.

It's not that person!
Moreover, the young figure from last time was nowhere to be seen!

The huge weight in Kato Taro's heart finally lifted with a thud, and an indescribable sense of relief instantly swept through his body, even making his legs feel a little weak.

He quickly stepped forward, forcing a smile as humble and sincere as possible, and extended his hands: "Hello, Colonel! I am Taro Kato, the plenipotentiary representative of the Eastern Wilderness Tribe."

The Rear Admiral Long Xia stood up and shook hands with him politely. His hand was broad and strong, carrying the ruggedness of a soldier.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority: "I am Zhang Zhaoxin, representing the Longxia tribe, and in charge of this negotiation." "Colonel Zhang, I've long admired your name!"

Kato Taro adopted an extremely humble posture, saying, "I have come here on behalf of the Eastern Wilderness Tribe, with the utmost attitude and sincerity, hoping to properly resolve the previous misunderstandings and conflicts with you."

"Therefore, we hope...we hope that the general can understand our difficulties and not make things too difficult for us."

He paused, a perfectly measured bitterness appearing on his face, and began to play the emotional card: "To be honest, General, after the last... after returning home from the negotiations, I was almost branded a traitor by the people back home. It wasn't an easy time..."

Zhang Zhaoxin said, a slight smile playing on his lips, his tone laced with sarcasm: "Oh? Mr. Kato, the way you're saying this makes it sound like we at Longxia forced you to come here to negotiate."

"Wasn't it you who started the war first, and now that you've been defeated, you're forced to sit here?"

Kato Taro's face instantly turned extremely ugly. He opened his mouth, but could not refute it.

Zhang Zhaoxin didn't continue the topic. He raised his hand to look at his watch and said directly, "Mr. Kato, I'm short on time, so let's skip the formalities and get straight to the point."

Zhang Zhaoxin sat up straight, his gaze sharp as he stared directly at Kato Taro. The previous hint of mockery had vanished, replaced by a cold, businesslike seriousness.

"First, we must clarify the premise."

Zhang Zhaoxin's voice was resolute: "In this incident, the Donghuang tribe disregarded international law and basic morality, and took the lead in provoking a military conflict without cause. You are undoubtedly the aggressors and the defeated party."

After a slight pause, he stated bluntly, "Therefore, all subsequent matters must be handled strictly in accordance with the standards for treating defeated nations."

Taro Kato's heart tightened; he knew the most difficult part was about to begin.

"First, compensation."

Without any preamble, Zhang Zhaoxin directly presented the figures: "Given the equipment losses and personnel compensation caused to our Longxia Navy by this conflict, as well as the enormous damage and potential impact on the peace and stability of our Dongzhou waters, preliminary calculations indicate that the Donghuang tribe needs to pay the Longxia tribe war reparations totaling 50 billion US dollars."

Five hundred billion?!

Kato Taro gasped in shock, jerking halfway up his chair, his face deathly pale. "This...this is impossible! General Zhang, this number is...this is outrageous! This is an utterly unreasonable demand!"

"If we agree to these conditions, I won't just be branded a traitor when I go back; I'll be torn to shreds by the angry mob!"

Zhang Zhaoxin watched his agitated reaction expressionlessly, and after he finished speaking, he retorted, "Did you think it was fifty billion US dollars? What, did you come here to treat us like beggars?"

"Does our Longxia tribe lack those five billion dollars? If it were just for those five billion dollars, we wouldn't have gone to such lengths to hold this meeting!"

“We represent two countries, while your Eastern Wilderness tribe is a developed country. Money is plentiful for you, isn’t it?”

Taro Kato was rendered speechless by the rebuttal, and wanted to retaliate but couldn't find any excuse.

Then, Zhang Zhaoxin continued coldly, "That's only the first point. The second is about holding those responsible for the war accountable."

He picked up a document in front of him, his tone calm yet carrying immense weight: "The Longxia tribe demands that the Donghuang tribe's participants and their supreme commander, who bear direct responsibility for this provocative war, be given a public trial under international supervision!"

"The list includes, but is not limited to: Naval officials, including Admiral Murashita Hayaki; Cabinet officials, including the then-Cabinet Chief and relevant pro-war cabinet members..."

"These are war criminals who must bear the primary responsibility for their crimes!"

Taro Kato was trembling all over. A public trial of the Supreme Commander and the head of the cabinet?
This is tantamount to completely destroying the administrative system and the backbone of the army in the Eastern Wilderness!
Zhang Zhaoxin seemed to think that wasn't enough, and added: "In addition, there are some representative figures who must also be tried."

"For example, the personnel of the 'Hokukaze' destroyer who first showed weakness to us during the conflict, and whose captain, Mai Onodera, and some of its core officers and soldiers have been taken into our control."

"In addition, those engineers and relevant personnel who have been illegally surveying, harassing, and even illegally constructing in the waters near our islands of Diaoyu and Weiba have also been captured by our side."

"Their actions are a manifestation of your official condoning or even instigation, and they must be held accountable."

"No! That's impossible!"

Kato Taro was practically screaming. He braced his hands on the table, leaned forward, and his eyes were bloodshot. "We absolutely cannot accept the amount of reparations! Public trial of our leader and general?"

"This is an even greater humiliation for our entire Eastern Wilderness tribe! It is a trampling on our national dignity! There is absolutely no room for negotiation on these two points! Absolutely not!"

Seeing that Taro Kato was so excited that he was almost out of control, Zhang Zhaoxin did not get angry.

Instead, he leaned back leisurely, his tone even carrying a hint of "magnanimity": "Mr. Kato, please calm down."

“You see, we are still reasonable. For example, we have taken into full consideration that your newly appointed chief was not involved in this decision-making process, so he is not included in the list of those to be tried.”

"Furthermore, we can let go of those war criminals who have already 'died in battle.' But—"

His tone suddenly turned cold, his gaze sharp as a knife, and he emphasized the few representative figures who had been captured: "The naval soldiers on the 'North Wind' who chose to lay down their weapons and surrender to our side unharmed."

"And those 'sabotage leaders' we captured alive on Haiyu Island and Weiba Island are living evidence and representatives. Their fate depends on your attitude."

"The North Wind... naval soldiers... unharmed... surrender?" Kato Taro was struck dumb, frozen in place, his mind going completely blank.

Zhang Zhaoxin added a reminder: "The captain of the North Wind, Onodera Mai, is also still alive!"

This news was like the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Taro Kato was told that the "North Wind" had been valiantly fought but was unfortunately severely damaged and lost contact, and that the entire ship might have perished.

How could it be... surrendering without a scratch?

If this is true, then the narrative of "heroic resistance" and "tragic sacrifice" that the Eastern Wilderness military and government have been promoting domestically will completely collapse! (End of Chapter)