Chapter 1641
Chapter 1641 - 1637 New Tokyo
1,544 words
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8 min read
"Ah, overtime, overtime, and more overtime...."
Lu Ping’an thought he had been cursed. Just after returning to his hometown, he encountered one unavoidable invitation after another.
Of course, there were good things too; his hometown was doing well, and his family was safe, which was the most comforting reward for Lu Ping’an.
But in fact, he also knew the root of his busyness.
"In at most six months, will the Great Counteroffensive begin?"
"I previously heard it would be three months.....but there are too many aspects involved, and we also need to prepare logistics and update equipment; it might not be settled within half a year."
"However, after three years, are we finally going to launch the counteroffensive..."
Three years ago, the Sakura Island battle was a doomed battle, and even though it was branded as a ’victorious retreat’, it could not hide the reality that humanity had lost most of the Pacific Ocean, and the Eastern Country had lost the First Island Chain defense line.
It wasn’t anyone’s fault, but when the Planes opened wide, facing ocean Life forms and Exotic Realm Ethnic groups, the whole world wasn’t prepared, especially against threats from the deep sea....before that, the hypothetical enemies of most human nations’ militaries were still various land Life forms, and they lacked experience and technology in this area.
Although that battle was lost, it indeed bought time for domestic technological transformation, industrial transfer, and talent training.
These three years, one could say the entire Eastern Country, even the entire human camp, has been paying back the debt incurred by the battle’s defeat and the demonstrated insufficiency of human combat power in naval warfare.
This isn’t a problem that can be solved in one go, thus, fortifying defenses is the first step.
The Eastern Country’s coastal areas had long been relocated, with various land defense lines and fortresses piled up like mountains, and behind them, the railway lines encircling the entire nation of Eastern Country...clearly, for this defense battle, the Eastern Country has broken its original developmental trajectory.
But on this world line, the Eastern Country had already become the world’s top economy last year.....the reason is quite simple and pure, although Eastern Country experienced the lowest economic growth rate in history these last two years, the world’s number one economic country on the coastline had performed even worse.
They possess the world’s longest stretch of sea level yet are fragmented into dozens of independent states, each with a significant tendency for "local autonomy".
Naturally, after the invaders’ eastward push was hindered, they chose to head west, and this also severely impacted Huaqi.
What has become an international joke is the mere attempt to build defensive lines and fortifications along the coast like the Eastern Country, where their internal disputes have become unbearably noisy.
Not to mention building a circle of transportation lines behind the defenses....before they could reach an agreement, the slowly encroaching sea invaders have already landed ashore, now they have lost part of their territory and their domestic economy has plummeted.
However, this is still among the best performing nations in the world.
Even the Eastern Country, the de facto leader in industry, has been forced into strategic defense, so the situation for other smaller and middle states is even more dire.
Bear in mind, ten years ago, when Lu Ping’an first arrived in this world, having someone of the Third or Fourth Tier in a small city could be considered a Strongman. While the Eastern Country underwent rapid qualitative changes with the Nirvana Plan, some countries in Europe and America saw no changes, with most of their regions still lacking Strongman-garrisoned sectors.
Strong nations might still have overseas colonies as support, but the weaker nations this time have suffered the worst, with several countries being directly eliminated.
"...this time, the restructured UT (still using an acronym previously used by the United Nations) should be effective, right?"
In times of Calamity Descends, all nations generally need external support, so international organizations and transnational organizations will be very popular.
During the Sakura Island battle, Lu Ping’an heard that UT was going to be restructured, but he also heard it would take at least six months.
𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞
"Almost a year since the reorganization began... forget it, don’t expect too much."
The reorganization has now been successfully completed, having been reorganized repeatedly four or five times, yet it still hasn’t had much effect.
After all, while all countries face threats and have the need to seek support through international alliances, that cooperative mechanism itself lacks enough strength... With all countries in a strategic defensive phase, supporting other nations is too impractical, and UT itself lacks military forces.
"Are we still using UT’s name for this counteroffensive? Other than the name, it seems pointless."
"The name is very important... UT’s headquarters is now in the Eastern Country, we need it to have higher authority."
Lu Ping’an has learned from various sources that the nominal leader of this Great Counteroffensive is not the Eastern Country but UT’s subordinated Military Commission... In fact, this has been the case for several years. By using its name, they can command other countries’ forces (whether they listen is another matter).
"They expect other countries to cooperate? I can understand if those countries also launch counterattacks, it could indeed divert some enemy forces, considering many of their territories have been colonized, but... well, it’s not very useful."
The talent drain is quite ruthless, especially during wartime, smaller nations weaken while stronger nations grow stronger. Morally, it might be wrong to flee one’s dangerous homeland, but humanity has endured too much already.
In the Eastern Country, the influx of foreign talents and nationals from Exotic Realms has been increasing while these smaller countries have been on a rapid decline... People leave, defensive lines slacken, remaining strongmen harden their resolve and then die, weakening the defenses further, leaving more burden on those who remain.
Some smaller nations still manage to keep some territory, probably only because their neighboring outsider colonial regions see them as future granaries. Many small island nations have actually been thoroughly consumed.
"After all, UT is a brand, as long as we win this battle under this brand, our influence will be significant post-war, and as for the rest... well, at least it could unite our domestic Exotic Realms and foreign nationals, who actually suffered the most."
"True, fighting under the Eastern Country flag feels somewhat awkward; the United Nations flag is much more acceptable."
Naturally, Lu Ping’an thought of Siberia, especially as he is currently on a train heading there, chatting leisurely with his friend.
The seeds planted before have now flourished, the potatoes sown in Siberia’s harsh winter have blossomed... although it’s somewhat like hell, Sakura Islanders there are indeed fairing fairly well now.
After all, newly built cities and a large military-industrial complex need plenty of labor: as long as there is work and income, life naturally becomes better.
"Ugh, are we going north again, just because they’ve built another Sakura Island Legion? They’re quite annoying." Lu Ping’an complains, preferring to take action himself rather than deal with those Sakura Island troops.
Sakura Islanders have found a new homeland, but it’s only been three years, they couldn’t possibly forget their hometown... Accurately speaking, their radicalism and eagerness for battle give the commanders quite a headache.
After enduring despair, those who survived have mostly abandoned their hometowns, ethnic groups, and families; psychological issues abound, with hysteria only being the tip of the iceberg. Self-destructive mindsets and suicidal charges are the real headaches... These legions that rush into battle yelling hurrahs, Lu Ping’an really doesn’t want to command them anymore.
In fact, as one of the commanders in that campaign, Lu Ping’an inevitably had some dealings with those outsiders, though they weren’t particularly pleasant.
It’s either excessive sycophancy, constantly referring to "our Eastern Country," or fanaticism about fighting their way back to their homeland...
"I heard they seem divided internally, some anti-war, some pro-war... well, it’s hard to favor either. After all, they’ve already lost their territories, with the anti-war faction only demanding complete abandonment of their homeland, even integrating actively into other countries. There are indeed quality losses among the Radicals, but they are too fanatical and there are too many with self-destructive tendencies."
A legion needs the brave, but not too many seeking death, especially since many of them essentially go into battle with the mindset of "dying to honor my family/ethnic group," often either giving up their lives trivially or breaking down and running erratically, disrupting the battlefield.
And right now, Lu Ping’an focuses on them because he has received another irresistible commission, to travel for work to the northern region of the Eastern Country.
However, seeing the cities built in the Siberian isle... Lu Ping’an always feels they might be ripped apart by a giant sea monster in no time.
"New Tokyo... well, better take pictures soon, feels like it’s a city that will eventually be destroyed by monsters."
— End of Chapter 1641 —