33: "Why do we like to fight? Because a goat costs 700,000 dollars!"

Long Country, Department of Defense.

Defense Minister Dong Changjun was listening to his assistant Xiao He’s report:

“Commander, according to your instructions, we contacted our informants in Darwin City and obtained a lot of information about Mazhaha, whom you asked us to investigate last time.”

Dong Changjun wanted to investigate Mazhaha because he believed that the Indigenous Party, controlled by Mazhaha, was the master of the situation in Darwin City, and this person naturally needed special attention.

Dong Changjun flipped through Mazhaha’s not-so-long personal file and frowned: “There’s nothing special about this person.”

An Indigenous orphan, he grew up receiving aid from the Indigenous Party, developed deep feelings for it, and remained active within the Indigenous Party after growing up.

Mazhaha became a mid-to-high-level figure mainly because his words and actions strongly represented the extremist faction within the Indigenous Party.

Until a series of changes occurred in Darwin City, Mazhaha was not well-known.

Now, he has suddenly become a prominent figure and a vanguard against the U.S. Military?

But it was true, Dong Changjun sighed: “One can only say that times make heroes.”

“Xiao He, observe this Mazhaha more in the future. Ask our informants in Darwin City if they can get in touch with Mazhaha and find a way to provide some support and subsidies.”

Dong Changjun had by then lost interest in the situation in Darwin City.

Unexpectedly, Xiao He smiled awkwardly and said: “Commander, I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”

Dong Changjun frowned: “What, have our informants been exposed?”

Xiao He shook his head: “Not that, it’s just… there’s no chance anymore.”

Dong Changjun: “What do you mean?”

Xiao He: “According to intelligence, the U.S. Military launched an undeclared attack last night, dropping a large number of aerial bombs on Darwin City, and simultaneously dispatched special forces to infiltrate the city to carry out assassination missions, wiping out the Indigenous Party’s high-ranking officials, including Mazhaha.”

Dong Changjun shook his head helplessly, frustrated by the lack of progress.

“Clearly knowing that he was facing the U.S. Military, who would stop at nothing, this Mazhaha didn’t even know how to protect himself and was wiped out by the U.S. Military’s special forces.”

“What a fool.”

“But with his death, it’s going to be troublesome.”

Xiao He: “In what respect are you referring?”

Dong Changjun: “The reason Darwin City has reached this point is because of extremists like Mazhaha who dared to resist the U.S. Military.”

“Now that Mazhaha and his high-ranking subordinates are dead, the extremist faction is leaderless, and the Indigenous Party will likely experience intense power struggles. The next person to take power may not necessarily be an extremist.”

“If the newly appointed person is even slightly weaker, he will succumb to the U.S. Military’s pressure and seek reconciliation. In that case, this incident in Darwin City will end in a way that benefits the United States.”

Xiao He nodded: “You are right.”

Dong Changjun: “Tell our informants in the city not to take too much action for now.”

Xiao He: “Yes.”

—

U.S. Military Darwin Air Force Base, Commander-in-Chief’s Office.

The reason there is a command center here is because more than twenty thousand U.S. Military troops have now arrived and are stationed at Darwin Base and its surroundings.

This does not include the troops that have not yet arrived.

The United States has completely viewed this crisis as a top priority concerning national dignity.

Now, the overall Commander of this U.S. Military operation, four-star Navy Admiral Aris, was laughing heartily with pleasure.

Because, just now, he had fully confirmed that Mazhaha, the leader of the Indigenous Party, and several other core high-ranking officials of the Indigenous Party, had all died during the night of the air raid.

Aris did not believe that capturing Darwin City posed any challenge to him.

But he also wanted to occupy the city with the least cost and without bloodshed.

He even thought of stationing more U.S. Military personnel in Darwin City and its surroundings after occupying it, using the previous rebellion as an excuse.

It must be said that the total number of U.S. Military troops stationed in Australia was too small.

There are only three official U.S. Military bases here, with a total of only about a thousand personnel.

And the northern part of Australia is an excellent military stronghold for the United States to contain Long Country.

As for how to occupy Darwin City with the least cost?

To quote from Sun Tzu’s Art of War, which he had read in military academy: “The best policy is to attack the enemy’s plans; the next best is to attack their alliances; the worst is to attack their fortified cities.”

Airstrikes on Darwin City can make the people in the city see the U.S. Military’s power, clearly understand the disparity in strength between the enemy and themselves, and make them despair.

Once the morale in Darwin City becomes unstable, their will to fight will decrease, and they may even collapse without an attack.

And the decapitation strike against Mazhaha and other high-ranking Indigenous Party officials was one part of this.

After all, the Indigenous Party was the main force of the rebels.

Aris was feeling pleased with himself when the dedicated phone line rang.

Upon answering, it was President Joe La Xi himself.

Joe La Xi roared over the phone:

“You idiots, who told you to suddenly bomb Darwin City? And even if you bombed it, why bomb a residential building? Were there terrorists hiding in there or something?”

“Do you know how much public pressure your actions have put on the United States?”

“Write a report, you must write me a self-criticism report, cough, cough—”

The President spoke too quickly and started coughing.

After a moment to compose himself, he added: “In short, don’t let such foolish actions happen again, or I’ll have Savitz (the Secretary of Defense) remove you from your post—”

The call ended, and Aris pouted, a little displeased.

Those in power are not worth strategizing with. He even called to nag about merely accidentally bombing a residential building.

In fact, Aris was a staunch hawk within the U.S. Military.

About 8 years ago, he even suggested that the U.S. Military directly attack Long Country’s naval fleet.

Fortunately, the middle and lower ranks of the U.S. Military at the time questioned this order and directly bypassed their superiors to consult the Department of Defense, otherwise a war between the two great powers would have broken out 8 years ago.

Now, Aris was in charge, leading a multi-service joint force of the United States, and his opponent was a weakling. If he didn’t show what a hawk’s methods were, he wouldn’t be called a hawk for nothing.

At this moment, a staff officer suddenly reported: “Commander, Senator Pearson requests to see you.”

Pearson, an Australian Member of Parliament, was also Australia’s official peace envoy, responsible for mediating between Darwin City and the U.S. Military.

It was precisely after hearing Pearson relay the enemy’s negotiation terms that Aris, in a fit of anger, ordered the night raid. Therefore, he was not fond of Pearson, and said: “Tell him I’m not here, I’ve gone to inspect various troops in the field.”

Staff Officer: “Yes.”

Aris: “Oh, by the way, prepare yourself, I’m going to make a statement.”

“Our U.S. Military will formally attack the rebels in Darwin City in the coming days!”