I built an armada.

The rain outside the window was getting heavier and heavier, and the leaden sky swallowed up all the afternoon light, so much so that all the overhead lights in the conference room had to be turned on.

The pale light fell on his gray hair, making him look ten years older than usual, as if he might step into the gates of hell at any moment.

"beat?"

The leader finally spoke, his voice not loud, but it silenced everyone present instantly.

"What are we going to use to fight?"

He slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over everyone present: "Where is our aircraft carrier currently docked?"

The leader looked as if he were crying but not laughing.

"They've even been sold off by Long Xia!"

"Gentlemen, do you perhaps wish to see the sun rise again on the Eastern Wilderness's own soil?"

The leader, unusually, told a hellish joke, but no one dared to laugh at that moment.

"They would never do that!"

Someone shouted!

"The people of Longxia wouldn't dare. Aren't they afraid of the United Nations' condemnation?"

The leader couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.

"Well said. That's what China thought decades ago, and then what happened?"

"I must remind you all."

The leader, his hands trembling, took off his reading glasses.

"On the Longxia Internet, there are many comments about an eye for an eye and blood for blood, and some people are even clamoring to trample Kyoto on horseback to see the cherry blossoms."

"Gentlemen, if it really comes to that, who do you think will be the first to be judged?"

"civilian?"

"still……"

"You and me?"

"How long does it take for Longxia's missiles to travel from their launch point to our feet?"

The leader looked out the window.

"I have no doubt that the missiles on their ships are pointed at our feet, and once the war starts, the ground beneath our feet will be a sea of ​​fire in five minutes."

"Are you planning to defeat Longxia in five minutes?"

Every word made the atmosphere in the meeting room even more somber.

The radicals who had been shouting fell silent.

“But Prime Minister,” the Defense Minister continued, “a public trial…that’s an absolute no-go!”

"Besides, they're going to put you on trial, this..."

"In my opinion, there is some room for negotiation regarding Long Xia's demands..."

"If handing over certain 'culprits' can minimize our losses, I believe it would be extremely beneficial to the people..."

As differing opinions were raised, the argument in the meeting room grew increasingly heated.

The political system of the Eastern Wilderness differs somewhat from that of other countries.

Simply put, the head of the cabinet in the Eastern Wilderness is the leader of the party that holds more seats.

In other words, you have to be the head of a party before you can be the head of the cabinet.

For most problems, the worst outcome is simply the leader resigning and the party replacing him with a new leader—or a scapegoat taking power.

But in the current situation, once the leader is tried, the scope of the impact will be very wide.

In more serious cases, it is impossible for the leader's current party to undergo a complete purge.

With such a great opportunity, other parties will not easily give up the chance to step onto the political stage!

As the argument raged on, time ticked by.

Taro Kato sat behind his computer screen, staring blankly at these politicians who usually appeared dignified and composed on television.

These people all talk about "national interests," but the "national interests" they all seem to have are different.

Kato Taro suddenly felt an absurd dizziness.

How can a country be managed well when surrounded by these scoundrels?
Ultimately, these are nothing more than a bunch of incompetent people who hold positions without doing any work, each focused on their own paltry interests.

As for the potential war? And the losses that the people would suffer as a result?
Nobody cares!

Instead of thinking about what's best for the country, everyone is thinking about how to minimize the losses to their own department, their own faction, and their own political future.

Even ministers who didn't want war to break out were still mostly worried about their personal safety.

Compared to the people of Longxia, those sitting here are nothing but a bunch of short-sighted, greedy fools!

"Kato-kun."

The leader's speech briefly silenced the argument in the conference room, pulling Taro Kato back from his thoughts.

"You've spoken face-to-face with Representative Long Xia. In your opinion, is there any room for negotiation on the issue of a public trial?"

All eyes were once again focused.

Kato's eyes flickered, and his throat went dry.

"I'm afraid... no."

Taro Kato heard his own voice and felt an indescribable calm.

"In my opinion, Long Xia is going to... settle scores with us."

"Liquidation? On what grounds can they conduct a liquidation?"

"Who does Long Xia think he is?"

Taro Kato remained calm.

"Based on the aircraft carriers they display at sea."

"We've already missed one chance to admit our mistakes; we can't afford to miss a second one."

Taro Kato said calmly.

His gaze swept across the screen.

The camera's field of view was limited, but those ministers who were not within the screen's view seemed to feel Taro Kato's gaze and turned their heads away, not daring to meet his eyes.

"Gentlemen, we all know who was at fault in that war decades ago."

"Due to historical factors, some people have escaped sanctions by chance, but that does not mean they can escape forever."

Taro Kato closed his eyes slightly and then opened them.

"Gentlemen, are we going to gamble on the possibility that Longxia won't actually invade the Eastern Wilderness?"

The conference room fell into a brief silence.

"I know some people are still fantasizing that the Eagle Tribe will come to our rescue. The Eagle Tribe still has troops stationed here, so we still have the strength to fight..."

"But...does the Eagle Tribe really have the courage to go to war with Longxia?"

Taro Kato glanced down at the document in his hand.

"Actually, the Eagle Tribe's idea is very simple: they want to have localized conflicts or frictions with Longxia."

"In order to unite with other Asian countries, we will drag Longxia into the quagmire of war, but we have already seen how Longxia responded."

"They had long been prepared for a fight to the death, but the Eagle Tribe was not ready for a full-scale war with Longxia."

"If Longxia really invades, then we will only have one path left: to be abandoned."

“Even without us, the Eagle Tribe still has room to negotiate with Longxia.”

"But if war really breaks out, then we can only fight to the end. Obviously, the Eagle Tribe is not prepared for a full-scale war."

So your opinion is to hand me over?

The leader slowly straightened up, staring intently at Taro Kato.

"Your Excellency, please dedicate yourself to the Eastern Wilderness!"

Taro Kato stood up and bowed deeply.

"Kato-kun."

The leader's voice became somewhat shrill.

“Tell Representative Long Xia that we accept negotiations in principle, but the point about a public trial must be discussed again.”

"We can accept compensation, and even some form of apology, but the trial of national leaders is absolutely out of the question! This is our bottom line."

"If..." Kato opened his mouth, but didn't finish his sentence.

"There are no 'ifs,' this is our attitude!"

Kato nodded slightly and ended the video conference.

This result was not unexpected for him.

Perhaps, it's time to start preparing for immigration.

If we show our sincerity to Long Xia now, can we get the privilege of Long Xia helping our family evacuate from the war zone?
Indeed, Kato had no doubt that Ryūka would use force to achieve his goals.

What you can't get on the battlefield, you'll never get at the negotiating table!
There were still two hours left, but Kato didn't care anymore.

He wanted to evacuate his family in advance to prevent them from being affected by the war.

……

"Advisor Kato," Zhang Zhaoxin gestured for him to sit down, "has your government made a decision?"

Kato took a deep breath.

"Before that, I would like to ask you, what do I need to give in exchange for the opportunity to evacuate my family safely?"

Zhang Zhaoxin remained silent for a moment.

"It seems I don't need to know your opinions."

Kato's tone gradually hardened.

"Please believe me, Your Excellency, that I personally admire China very much and am willing to contribute to the peace between our two countries."

"To be honest, according to the family genealogy, my family actually migrated from the coastal area to the Eastern Wilderness five hundred years ago. If possible, I would like to acknowledge my ancestors and return to my roots."

"After all, a wanderer who has been away from home for so long will eventually return to his hometown..."

Even if we didn't have family trees before, we do now.

No matter who comes, it won't work!

He, Taro Kato, is a native of Longxia.

No, he shouldn't be called Kato Taro anymore; he should give himself the name Ryuu Natsu!
For example... Zhongguo seems to be quite good.

Zhang Zhaoxin stared at Kato Taro with great interest.

"You're a smart person, but there's no need to rush this."

Zhang Zhaoxin calmly poured himself a cup of hot tea.

"I would still like to hear your opinion."

He listened quietly to Taro Kato's retelling, his knuckles lightly tapping the table, a look of understanding appearing on his face:
"So, your country is willing to pay compensation and apologize, but it simply cannot accept a public trial?"

"Yes."

"Is this everyone's decision, or the leader's decision?"

Kato hesitated for a moment: "It's... the leader's decision."

Zhang Zhaoxin nodded slightly.

The leader's decision and the government's decision are not always equivalent.

For example, right now, it's clear that the leader doesn't want to meet his end, but that doesn't mean everyone is willing to die with him.

"There's no need to rush into recognizing your ancestors and returning to your roots."

A bold idea flashed through Zhang Zhaoxin's mind.

"There's still an hour and a half left before the deadline, but I can decide to give you an extra four hours."

Taro Kato was somewhat confused.

"Your Excellency means..."

"I think the people of the Eastern Wilderness don't need to suffer needlessly because of the selfish desires of some people. It's time for the old things of the old era to give way to the new generation."

A faint smile played on Zhang Zhaoxin's lips.

“During this period, I can apply for special asylum for your family and guarantee that they will not be harmed in any way under any circumstances.”

Kato's gaze was shaken.

"You mean... that..."

"No, I didn't mean anything by it."

Zhang Zhaoxin's expression remained calm.

"I truly admire your integrity, and inspired by you, I am willing to grant you an additional four hours for discussion."

"As for what happened during that time, it has nothing to do with us."

"How things will turn out in the end depends on the results of Lord Kato's efforts."

Zhang Zhaoxin put down his teacup.

"However, since you are the expert responsible for negotiating with us, if there is any problem with your personal safety, we can consider the negotiations to have broken down."

"We will issue a notice within ten minutes and take back what rightfully belongs to us!"

Kato's expression changed repeatedly.

He knew this might be his only chance in his life.

Zhang Zhaoxin's attitude was clear: he wouldn't offer him any help, but he could give him a get-out-of-jail-free card.

At least until the final offensive is launched, no one dares to touch him!
Apart from that, he has to rely on himself for everything.

Success means meteoric rise to power; failure... even in failure, the worst outcome is simply going to Longxia and living in anonymity.

This is exactly the best outcome he had envisioned.

If that's the case, then what's there to hesitate about?

"I understand!"

Taro Kato bowed deeply.

"Thank you for your kindness."

Without uttering any unnecessary words, Kato turned and left the meeting room.

If he only has an hour and a half, he will feel powerless to do anything he wants.

But right now, he has nearly five hours to plan a momentous event.

Regardless of the outcome, his name will surely be written into the history of the world, and he will not even be in great danger!
As dusk fell, a light rain began to drizzle down.

Kato hung up the phone, his fingers gradually clenching.

He got nothing after ten minutes of contact.

His plan was so grand that it was impossible for anyone to accept it.

This matter is extremely risky. He simply cannot contact too many people, let alone reveal his plans directly.

But this doesn't mean he has no room for maneuver.

"Go to the Ministry of Defense."

He suddenly said to the driver.

The driver glanced at him in the rearview mirror: "But what about the advisor, the cabinet..."

"Go to the Ministry of Defense."

Kato repeated, his voice carrying a strange resolve.

The car turned and drove into the dimly lit street.

Kato took out his phone and dialed a number. The phone rang for a long time before being answered, with loud music and laughter in the background.

"Kato-san?"

A surprised voice came from the other end of the phone.

"It's really rare that you would call someone as troublesome as me."

“Takahashi,” Kato said, “I need you. Now.”

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, the music gradually fading away, as if the other person had gone to a quiet place: "Now? Do you know what time it is now? And I'm currently..."

“I know you’re at the club,” Kato interrupted him.

“I also know that you weren’t meeting women there, but your old subordinates from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. I also know what you’ve been complaining about in private lately, your dissatisfaction with the cabinet, and… Am I right, Mr. Takahashi?”

What followed was a long silence.

Then, Takahashi's voice turned low and serious: "Where did you hear about this?" (End of Chapter)