novelAbuy Chapter 558 Forming at Least 5 Divisions
Chapter 558 Forming at Least 5 Divisions
"People will get injured or even die in any job," Chen Feng replied calmly. "Miners will die in mining accidents, construction workers will die in accidents, and fishermen will die in storms. Work in wartime is riskier, so the pay is also higher. It's a personal choice, not something the state forces you to do."
At this point, the debate has devolved into a semantic entanglement.
Wilson raised his hand to stop Lansing from speaking further. He knew that arguing about this issue was pointless. Chen Feng had already provided a legally sound explanation, and Meilika had no conclusive evidence to refute it.
More importantly, Mirika herself is doing something similar—just in a different form.
"Mr. Chen," Wilson said, "let's leave this matter here. What matters is the future, not the past."
Chen Feng nodded: "I agree."
He prepared to leave again. This time, Lansing did not stop him.
But as he reached the door, Chen Feng stopped and turned back, saying, "Mr. President, Mr. Secretary of State, in conclusion, I want to say this: in this complex world, there are rarely absolute black and white. Meilika provided loans to Britain, Lanfang organized mercenaries, Britain plotted to have Germany attack Meilika's ships… we all operate in the gray area, all seeking justification for our own interests. The only difference is that some people admit it, and some don't."
He looked at Wilson: "You are a man of ideals, which is precious. But please don't let ideals blind you to the complexities of reality. In this war, there are no innocent people, only participants to varying degrees."
After saying that, he pushed open the door and walked out with Wang Wenwu.
The door closed behind me.
Only three beautiful women remained in the operations briefing room.
For a long time, no one spoke.
Lieutenant General Rodman broke the silence first: "Mr. President, what he said... makes sense. If the war escalates, Lanfang could indeed become a problem we have to face."
"I know." Wilson sat down again, covering his face with his hands. "God, I know."
Lansing walked up to him: "We need to develop a plan. If Lanfang really sides with Germany, if their fleet appears in the Indian or Pacific Ocean..."
"That means fighting on two fronts," Rodman continued. "Britain cannot handle this alone; we need to divide our forces to provide support. And our main force must remain in the Atlantic to deal with the German High Seas Fleet."
"So what Chen Feng said is true." Wilson looked up, his eyes bloodshot. "Mirika's decision could trigger a chain reaction, potentially leading to a global conflict. And then, will we regret our choices today?"
No one can answer this question.
The clock on the wall pointed to 11:40 a.m. In twenty minutes, Wilson would depart for Washington. Forty-eight hours later, he would address Congress, likely announcing that Maryka was ready to enter the war.
History is accelerating, and they, sitting in the driver's cab, cannot control the direction of the train.
"Get ready," Wilson finally said. "We're going back to Washington. Robert, you're coming with me. General Rodman, the defense of Pearl Harbor is in your hands. Especially... keep a close eye on the movements of the Lanfang Fleet."
"Yes, Mr. President."
Wilson stood up and took one last look at the Pacific Ocean chart. In that vast blue expanse, Hawaii was just a small dot, but at that moment, that small dot carried the weight of the world.
He recalled Chen Feng's last words: "There are no innocent people, only participants to varying degrees."
Yes. In this global tragedy, everyone is a participant. The only difference is that some chose to act proactively, while others chose to act passively, but ultimately, everyone must bear the consequences.
He turned and left the room, his steps heavy.
Behind him, on the Pacific nautical chart, a small model representing the Lanfang Fleet lay silently at the location of Pearl Harbor. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, more models were moving, more decisions were being made, and more blood was about to be shed.
Once the wheels of war are set in motion, they are hard to stop.
And today, in this windowless room, someone gave it another push.
Back on the "Huaihe" transport boat, Chen Feng remained silent.
Standing beside him, Wang Wenwu could feel the heavy atmosphere. He knew that the meeting had truly broken down. All the efforts, all the hopes, had ended in that moment.
The sea breeze carried the distinctive salty smell of the Pacific Ocean. In the distance, the silhouette of the "Huaihe" ship appeared particularly majestic, yet also exceptionally lonely, under the midday sun.
When the transport boat docked at the gangway, Captain Zhang Haitao was already waiting. Seeing Chen Feng's expression, he immediately understood the situation.
"Commander-in-Chief..."
"Back to the bridge," Chen Feng said, uttering only three words.
Boarding the "Huaihe," passing through the tidy deck, entering the bridge, and arriving at the operations room at the rear, Chen Feng finally relaxed his tightly clenched fist after the door closed.
"Send a telegram to Prime Minister Saionji Kinmochi of the Sakura Kingdom." His voice was calm, but beneath that calm lay an iron will. "Use the highest encryption level. The content is as follows: Immediately initiate the second phase of 'Operation Sakura.' Assemble no fewer than fifty divisions, complete their armament and training, and be ready for deployment at any time. The first batch of ten divisions must complete their combat readiness within three months."
Wang Wenwu quickly took notes, his hands trembling slightly: "Fifty divisions...that's over a million men. Will Prime Minister Saionji agree to that?"
"He'll agree." Chen Feng walked to the Pacific Ocean chart. "Because if the United States enters the war and Germany is defeated, then the postwar order will be dominated by the United States and Britain. At that time, Japan's position in Asia will be squeezed, and their interests in Cao County may be jeopardized. But if Japan demonstrates sufficient strength now and plays a sufficient role in the war, then they can secure a better position after the war."
He turned to look at Wang Wenwu: "The essence of politics is exchange. We provide Japan with weapons, funds, and technology, and they provide manpower. We help them modernize their military, and they help us... balance the power in this world."
"But the cost of doing so..."
"The cost would be an expansion of the war, and more deaths," Chen Feng continued. "But if we don't do that, the cost might be Lanfang's survival. Wang Wenwu, do you understand? When Wilson decided to go to war, he not only chose war, but also the reorganization of world power. In this reorganization, small and emerging countries will be squeezed, forced to choose sides, and compelled to sacrifice their own interests."
He walked to the window and looked out at Pearl Harbor: "I don't want to choose sides; I want to take a third path. But if the world is forced to allow only two choices, then I can only choose the side that best protects Lanfang."