1: Chapter 1 The Great Xia Dynasty, Winter Arrives Overnight

[ Dear adoptive fathers, please deposit your brains here. ]

[ The strength of Eagle Sauce in this world refers to its Peak period in the last century, otherwise fighting it would be pointless. Eagle Sauce during its Peak period was overwhelmingly strong; just looking at aircraft carriers of various types, there were a total of 145 of them (the author actually checked the data). ]

Blue Star Calendar, October 1, 2035.

Across the ocean, the White House, the Oval Office.

President Jack sat behind the desk, with a thick stack of documents spread out before him — "Comprehensive National Power Evaluation Report of Da Xia".

Secretary of Defense Powell spoke first, his tone heavy:

"Mr. President, Da Xia's total GDP officially surpassed ours last year. The navy launched four aircraft carriers in three years, the annual production of fifth-generation fighters is twice ours, and hypersonic missiles have already been mass-produced and commissioned. According to current trends, within ten years, their comprehensive military strength will surpass ours." [ This is the author-kun's dream, please don't bring it into reality. ]

The office was dead silent.

Jack's expression was very ugly: "So we are just watching a challenger walk up right in front of us?"

No one answered. Silence was the best answer.

At this moment, Chief of Staff Alan Clark stood up, walked over to the world map on the wall, and pointed his finger at a patch of azure blue sea.

"The Malacca Strait. Eighty percent of Da Xia's crude oil imports pass through this shipping lane."

His finger moved upwards, sweeping across the Middle East.

"The Persian Gulf, nearly half of the world's oil reserves are concentrated here. We have ten carrier battle groups, thirty-five military bases, and seven obedient governments here."

He turned around, his tone as calm as if he were reciting a formula:

"Mr. President, Da Xia's external dependency on oil is eighty-three percent. They are like a muscular behemoth, but all their blood vessels are exposed on the outside."

"Building more aircraft carriers and developing more chips, in my view — is just making wedding dresses for us. The more prosperous they are, the more dependent they are on energy, and the tighter the noose in our hands will choke."

"As long as we are willing, closing the Malacca Strait, cutting off supply from the Middle East, and blockading the Cape of Good Hope — a three-pronged approach. Within ninety days, sixty percent of Da Xia's factories will halt production. Within half a year, high-speed rail will be suspended, heating interrupted, and hundreds of millions of people in the north will shiver in the bitter winter. After a year, the economy will regress by fifteen years, and the unemployment rate will achieve a Breakthrough of fifty percent."

"Without energy, everything returns to zero."

Jack leaned back into his chair, remained silent for a long time, and finally spat out four words softly:

"Then let's make a move."

The voice was very light, like a feather falling to the ground.

But everyone present knew — the place where this feather fell would be the thunder across thousands of miles of rivers and mountains.

The next day, seventeen Western nations officially signed the "Global Energy Security Agreement".

Da Xia entered winter overnight.

...

Da Xia, Southern Jiangsu Province.

Three o'clock in the morning.

The wind on the rooftop was a bit strong.

Su Mingyuan stared at the cheap cigarette in his hand, the spark at the tip flickering uncertainly in the darkness.

A large swathe of the distant city skyline was pitch black — ever since the power rationing, the night view of Southern Jiangsu Province had never been bright again.

The once neon-flashing commercial street now only had a few sparse streetlights holding up appearances.

The ash burned down to his fingertips, a sharp pain startling him out of his daze.

He subconsciously flicked his hand, and the spark drew an arc in the night sky, plunging into the boundless darkness.

Just like his life.

The phone screen was lit, and the bank balance column was so glaring it drove people crazy —

[ Balance: 21.34 ]

Twenty-one yuan and thirty-four cents.

His entire fortune.

And the online loans he owed had rolled up to 320,000.

"I have no face to go home."

Su Mingyuan muttered to himself, letting out a long sigh.

Three months ago, he was still a technician at a new energy Materials company in Southern Jiangsu, with a monthly salary of a little over 5,000; it wasn't much, but at least he could survive.

Then, as soon as the "Global Energy Security Agreement" landed, raw material imports were cut off, and the factory's production lines were shut down one by one.

First it was unpaid leave, then "optimization and adjustment", and finally the boss sent a voice message in the company group chat:

"Brothers, it's not that I don't want to hold on, it's that I really can't hold on anymore. See you in the next life."

A company of over three hundred people scattered overnight.

On the day Su Mingyuan hugged a cardboard box and walked out of the factory gate, the old security guard was still sighing at the entrance: "Little Su, in this day and age, it's already good enough that you can find work, don't be picky."

He wasn't picky.

He submitted more than 180 resumes and went through a dozen interviews.

But the manufacturing industry throughout Southern Jiangsu Province was laying people off; half of the chemical plants closed, thirty percent of logistics companies stopped, and even food delivery riders were competing so fiercely that they couldn't even grab an order paying one yuan and eleven cents.

Without energy, everything was stalling.

Yesterday alone, online loan collection calls came seventeen times, and the last one directly threatened to call his parents' side.

The landlord's ultimatum had also come down: If the rent isn't paid tomorrow, the locks will be changed.

Su Mingyuan mechanically scrolled through his phone, and somehow clicked on his ex-girlfriend Jiang Wanting's Moments.

On the screen was a selfie on the Sanya beach.

Blue sea, blue sky, and just the right amount of sunshine.

Jiang Wanting was wearing a white spaghetti-strap dress, with a silver-glowing necklace hanging around her neck, snuggling next to a bald middle-aged man, her smile so brilliant it was blinding.

The caption read: [ Being with the person you love most, anywhere is scenery. ]

Su Mingyuan stared at that photo for a long time, his mouth twitching into a self-deprecating arc.

Sanya.

He couldn't even scrape together the gas money to leave the city, yet she was living quite comfortably.

Just at this moment —

A line of words suddenly emerged at the edge of his vision.

It wasn't on the phone screen, but directly suspended in the air in front of his eyes, glowing with a dim blue light, like a holographic projection in a sci-fi movie.

[ 72:00:00 ]

Seventy-two hours.

"What the heck?"

Su Mingyuan abruptly stood up and rubbed his eyes.

The numbers were still there, quietly jumping, embedded in the upper right corner of his vision.

He turned head — the numbers turned with it.

He closed his eyes — the numbers were still there, and that blue light could be seen even through his eyelids.

"Am I seeing ghosts..."