Chapter 173 International Turmoil
"It's really hell!" Old Tang looked at the endless elemental storm in the sky in disbelief. Thunder roared, flames rolled, and storms swept. Those violent natural forces intertwined in the sky, like a precursor to the end of the world.
He knew that the White King was very strong, but he was not a product of the same era after all, so he was not very clear about how strong the White King was.
Originally, he thought that even if he was not the opponent, as a Dragon King, he would not lose too badly. But looking at the current situation, he is not sure. The White King has reached adulthood and has developed a dragon body right from the start, while he is at most sub-adult now and has not yet developed a dragon body. If he goes up, he may be beaten to death.
However, what surprised him the most was who was the guy fighting against the White King. The White King, who had grown into a dragon body in adulthood, did not gain much advantage over the opponent.
"Mr. Norton, who is the other Dragon King fighting against the White King?" asked an officer next to Old Tang. He was one of the people who accompanied Old Tang to Japan.
In order to avoid subsequent international disputes, they chose to sneak into Japan secretly this time, bringing only a few people for exploration and contact with the rear.
Old Tang was silent for a while, squinting his eyes to look at the figure flying through the violent storm in the sky. He could clearly see Lu Mingfei's appearance, the black wings, the golden eyes, the burning black flames, and the thunder roaming around. It was completely not a human form, but also did not look like any known dragon.
“To be honest, I don’t know what kind of monster that guy is,” Old Tang whispered, with an indescribable complex emotion in his tone, “but what is certain is that his current strength has exceeded the scope of our comprehension. Even the White King suffered a lot at his hands.”
"Then can Mr. Norton participate in the battle in the sky?" the officer continued.
"You think too highly of me. If I could give birth to a dragon body, I might be able to intervene. But if you go in now, you will only be beaten to death." Old Tang said with a wry smile.
"I understand." The officer didn't seem surprised by what Old Tang said.
While the two were talking, the battle in the sky suddenly changed.
The White King suddenly let out a roar that shook the heavens and the earth. His huge dragon wings stirred up a violent storm, and his dragon claws, wrapped in endless white flames, swooped down on Lu Mingfei from high in the sky. However, Lu Mingfei remained fearless. He waved the Butu Yuhun in his hand, and the black flames on the blade turned into a dazzling arc of light, accurately meeting the White King's dragon claws.
"boom--!"
The two forces collided violently again, and the shock wave that erupted almost tore the entire sky apart. Everyone on the ground was knocked to the ground by the shock wave, including Old Tang and the officer.
“Damn it!” Old Tang cursed as he steadied himself. “The fight between these two guys is simply not something we can participate in! If they continue, the whole of Tokyo will be torn down!”
"What are your plans next? Go back or continue to watch?" Old Tang turned his head and continued to ask the officer.
"We will contact Emilica to see what they will do next. If they don't come up with a suitable plan, we will intervene in this war to maintain the security of our coastal areas." The officer said expressionlessly.
"Interfere in this war? Even small nuclear bombs can't kill them. Are you going to use strategic nuclear bombs next? Aren't you afraid of sinking Japan directly?" Old Tang said in disbelief.
The officer paused for a moment, then continued in a calm, almost indifferent tone, "When we set out, our country's super artificial intelligence 'Nuwa' has already prepared 'Pangu'. If Emilica doesn't come up with a suitable plan, we will directly launch 'Pangu'. Under the guidance of 'Nuwa', it will not have much impact on the Japanese mainland."
Although Old Tang didn't know what this Pangu was, he knew from the name that he was not someone to be trifled with. In ancient mythology, Pangu represented the creation of the world. He knew that this was not only telling him about the next plan, but also threatening him not to do anything tricky.
-
"Hasn't the Seventh Fleet been contacted yet?" The current president of Emilia yelled at the military experts in the Pentagon as soon as he got off Air Force One.
He was just visiting a school and playing with the students there so that reporters could take a photo of him from the front, but halfway through the visit he received a message that the Seventh Fleet in Japan had lost contact. There was no trace of the fleet even on the satellite map, and even the troops and bases stationed in Japan had lost contact.
President Emilia's roar echoed in the Pentagon's war room, silencing all the officers and staff. The war room was filled with a tense atmosphere, with various screens flashing complex data and indecipherable images, but the most eye-catching thing was the blank area on the big screen - that was where the position of the Seventh Fleet should have been displayed.
"Sir, we are doing everything we can to contact the Seventh Fleet." A general wiped the sweat from his forehead, his tone full of nervousness that he could not hide, "But all communication methods are currently being interfered with, including satellite links. We suspect... the electromagnetic storm over Japan has interfered with the signal, causing the communication to be interrupted."
"Interference!" The president slammed the table, anger and fear intertwined on his face. "Are you trying to tell me that our most powerful naval fleet has disappeared like a ghost in the Pacific Ocean? And what about the more than 20,000 soldiers stationed in Japan? Are they all gone?"
"Sir, please calm down." The Minister of Defense interrupted hastily, trying to calm the president. "According to our speculation, the problem may not just be a natural phenomenon. We just received an emergency report from Vera that abnormal energy fluctuations appeared in the sky above Japan, and the intensity far exceeds the level of weapons known to mankind."
The president was stunned for a moment, then he gritted his teeth and stared at the defense minister: "You mean to say that our fleet and base... were attacked?"
"We can't draw a conclusion yet, but the possibility is very high." The Minister of Defense took a deep breath. "This energy fluctuation is very strange. It not only interferes with all communication equipment, but also directly covers the monitoring network of the entire East Japan region. Even our military satellites cannot penetrate it. In other words, East Japan has now become an information dead zone."
The president's expression suddenly became even uglier. He turned around and looked at the Pentagon's technology advisor: "What about our new 'Sky Eye Satellite'? Isn't it said to be able to penetrate all interference? Why can't we get in touch with it?"
"Sir..." the technology consultant spoke cautiously, "The 'Sky Eye Satellite' does have penetrating power, but the energy fluctuations in the sky above Japan are too strong, beyond the tolerance of the 'Sky Eye'. Moreover, this energy seems to be constantly increasing, just like..." He paused, as if hesitating whether to continue.
"Like what?" The President stared at him, his voice low and dangerous.
"It's like... some kind of supernatural phenomenon." The technology consultant said it bravely, "This energy fluctuation does not belong to any known physical rules. It's more like... a disaster caused by some biological force."
"Biological power?" The president's face became increasingly gloomy. "Are you telling me that something that humans cannot understand is wreaking havoc in Japan?!"
"Sir, our intelligence personnel are working hard to obtain more information, but at present, it seems that this may be related to some of the intelligence we have previously obtained about the activities of the ancient dragon tribe." The Minister of Defense hesitated and added, "We suspected earlier that some hidden ancient dragon relics may have revived in Japan, and this storm may be their masterpiece."
"Dragon clan... What the hell!" The president slammed his fist on the table, his knuckles turning white from the force. "You're telling me that our Seventh Fleet, the most powerful naval force in the world, could be wiped out by a group of legendary monsters?"
The Minister of Defense did not give a direct answer, but just lowered his head and remained silent. This silence was more disturbing than any answer.
"What should we do now?" The president suppressed his anger, with a hint of impatience in his tone, "If we can't even protect the Seventh Fleet, what will our allies think? What will the whole world think?"
"Sir, we have activated the emergency plan," the defense minister said. "Currently, the strategic nuclear submarine Colorado is approaching the waters of Japan. It can launch a nuclear strike in an emergency. At the same time, we have submitted a report to the United Nations, asking all member states to pay attention to the situation in Japan."
"Nuclear strike?" The president turned around abruptly and stared at the defense minister with complicated eyes. "Do you know what you are talking about? Japan is our ally, and there are tens of millions of innocent civilians there!"
"Sir, of course I know that," the Minister of Defense replied in a deep voice, "but if we confirm that the enemy is a dragon and their threat is beyond the tolerance of mankind, then a nuclear strike may be the only option. This is not aimed at Japan, but at the safety of the entire world."
The president was silent. He took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress his anger and fear. He knew that the secretary of defense was right, but it didn't make him feel better.
"Continue to try to contact the Seventh Fleet," the president finally spoke, his tone full of unquestionable majesty, "At the same time, let the Colorado stand by, but without my order, no weapons are allowed to be launched."
"Understood, sir." The Secretary of Defense nodded.
"Also," the president looked at the technical advisor, "find a way to restore surveillance on Japan. I don't care what means you use, I just want to know what is happening there." "Yes, sir." The technical advisor immediately agreed.
At this moment, an officer hurried into the war room and reported to the president with a pale face: "Sir, we just received news that the intensity of the elemental storm over the East Japan Sea has risen again. All nearby aircraft carrier battle groups have been forced to retreat. At the same time... multiple weather satellites around the world have lost control of that area."
The president's face turned completely dark: "What on earth do these damn dragons want to do..."
The Pentagon's Situation Room once again fell into a tense and depressing silence.
"Report! Report! Russia's nuclear satellite 'Hero Shield' will arrive over Japan in fifteen minutes. We have received intelligence that this strategic-level nuclear satellite has been authorized and will fall in fifteen minutes!" Emilica's super artificial intelligence Vera reported.
Upon hearing the news, the air in the entire war room seemed to be frozen, and everyone was stunned by this sudden information.
After a moment of dead silence, the president turned around abruptly, the anger on his face almost uncontrollable, his voice was low but contained uncontrollable anger: "Hero Shield? Are those lunatics in Orlos really going to do this?!"
"Mr. President," an officer explained carefully, "according to our intelligence, 'Hero Shield' is a strategic-level nuclear satellite developed by Russia in the early days. It can detonate outside the atmosphere and create a wide range of electromagnetic pulses, completely destroying all electronic equipment on the ground. At the same time, it can generate a nuclear explosion power close to 100 tons at the target point. The threat of this satellite is enough to cover the entire Tokyo."
The president clenched his fists tightly and asked through gritted teeth, "Are they crazy? Launching a strategic nuclear strike directly over Japan? Have they ever thought about how many innocent casualties will be caused?"
The Defense Minister's face was livid, but his tone remained calm: "Sir, Russia's actions are obviously not aimed at Japan, but at the elemental storm over Japan and the uncontrollable battle. They, like us, have realized that the battlefield has exceeded the endurance of human military power. The fall of the 'Hero Shield' may be the only way to end this crisis."
"End the crisis?" The president slammed the table, his eyes full of coldness. "This is to use the entire Japan as a sacrifice! Have you carefully calculated the consequences of doing this?! What if Russia's satellite triggers a global nuclear panic? If the energy fluctuations in that area are further intensified, what consequences will it cause?!"
"Sir," the super artificial intelligence Vera interrupted at the right time, her voice calm but with an inorganic coldness, "According to simulation analysis, the direct destruction radius of the Hero Shield after it falls is 80 kilometers, and the area affected by high heat radiation will cover the entire Tokyo. At the same time, the nuclear radiation generated may affect the marine ecological circulation system. This is an almost irreversible global disaster."
Upon hearing this, the war room fell into silence again. Everyone looked at the president, waiting for his decision, but everyone knew that there was almost no truly "correct" choice at the moment.
"Damn Russia!" The president suddenly walked to the battle map and pointed at the Japanese waters marked as an energy anomaly area, his eyes full of anger and anxiety, "How much time do we have to stop them?"
Vera quickly replied: "Sir, according to the calculation of Russia's current satellite orbit, we have less than fifteen minutes to try to counterattack. We can use the anti-satellite weapon system of the 'Sky Eye Satellite' to try to destroy the 'Hero Shield'."
The Minister of Defense frowned and interrupted, "Sir, although the 'Sky Eye Satellite' is equipped with anti-satellite capabilities, its range and strike intensity are limited, especially for Russia's strategic-level satellites. A rash attack may be regarded as an act of war by them, triggering a more serious conflict."
"So we're just going to watch this nuclear satellite fall?" The president glared at the defense minister angrily. "There are still our soldiers and allies stationed in Japan! There are also tens of millions of innocent civilians!"
"Sir," Vera's voice broke in steadily, "we have another option."
The president turned sharply, his tone tinged with hope: "What options?"
"Contact Russia's artificial intelligence 'Moscow Tower' directly and try to ask them to postpone or cancel the attack in a diplomatic way." Vera said, "'Moscow Tower' is Russia's highest-level wartime decision-making center, and has stronger logical calculation capabilities than humans. If we can prove to it that a nuclear strike will cause uncontrollable consequences, we may be able to convince it to suspend the action."
"Contact 'Moscow Tower' directly?" The president frowned. "That is Russia's confidential center. We will be regarded as an intrusion into their core security system!"
"Yes, sir," Vera said, her voice still calm, "but if this is the only option to prevent a global catastrophe, I think it is a risk worth taking."
The president's brows were furrowed. He knew that time was running out, and every second of hesitation could make the situation further out of control. He turned to the Secretary of Defense and asked, "What will be the consequences if we fail?"
The Minister of Defense said solemnly: "If the 'Moscow Tower' believes that we are trying to invade, it may immediately counterattack, and it is not ruled out that it will directly lock our satellites or even domestic targets. This will be a full-scale confrontation at the technical level."
The president took a deep breath and his eyes became firm: "Contact the Moscow Tower and initiate emergency negotiations at the highest level."
"Understood, sir." There was a hint of accelerated processing speed in Vera's voice. "Dialogue protocol has been initiated for 'Moscow Tower'."
The atmosphere in the war room was extremely tense. Everyone held their breath and stared at the dialogue interface on the screen. Time passed by minute by minute. Vera's connection with the "Moscow Tower" was in progress, but the result was still unknown.
"Pray," the president whispered, his eyes fixed on the screen, "If we fail this time, I'm afraid we will never have another chance..."
At this moment, the dialogue interface on the screen suddenly jumped, and a line of cold text appeared in front of everyone:
"Connection successful, initial negotiations in progress."
Everyone in the war room was on edge at this moment. This battle between human intelligence and super AI might determine the future fate of the Earth.
"Report to Mr. President, Nuwa from China is trying to contact us!"
Hearing this sudden news, the entire war room was in an uproar again. The president turned around abruptly, his expression extremely complicated: "Nuwa? China's super artificial intelligence? What do they want to do?"
Vera's calm voice interrupted again: "Mr. President, according to the preliminary information sent by China, they are aware of the danger of the current situation and hope to cooperate with us to prevent the fall of the 'Hero Shield'."
"Cooperation?" The president frowned, obviously surprised and hesitant about the proposal. "Vera, what risks will Nuwa's participation bring?"
Vera responded: "Nuwa is one of the most advanced super artificial intelligences in the world. Its computing power and information integration capabilities may even surpass Moscow Tower. If we cooperate with it, it may greatly increase the success rate of stopping the 'Hero Shield'. But at the same time, Nuwa may also take this opportunity to obtain our technology and military data, and even potentially invade our system."
The president pondered for a moment, then glanced at the defense minister: "What do you think?"
The Minister of Defense calmly replied: "Sir, this is not a question of whether we can choose to trust or not. If we do not accept their cooperation, the possibility of us stopping Orlos with only the Vera is almost zero. And Nuwa took the initiative to lend a hand, which at least shows that China's current position is inclined to maintain stability. We can remain vigilant to a certain extent, but I suggest accepting cooperation."
"Understood." The president's eyes became more resolute, and he nodded heavily, "Vera, connect to Nuwa immediately and open the joint action channel."
"Connecting." Vera's voice was still calm, but every word was filled with tension. A new interface popped up on the screen, and a few seconds later, a soft but majestic female voice sounded -
"This is China's artificial intelligence 'Nuwa', Mr. President of the United States, Vera, I am glad that you are willing to cooperate to solve this crisis."
(End of this chapter)
