288: Chapter 288 Prohibited Weapons, Live Stream Globally

A few minutes later, the radar at the Squid Nation's artillery position confirmed the impact point of the test fire. Based on the slight signal fluctuations 'scouted' in the target area, they further confirmed the 'value' of the coordinates.

Colonel Aaron looked at the feedback, a cruel smile appearing on his face. "Target confirmed. Entire battery, four rounds rapid fire, cover the target area! For the Squid Nation, fire!"

Four giant cannons roared simultaneously! Four lethal 'Fortress Destroyer' special shells, carrying Lavitz's final madness and Colonel Aaron's extreme convictions, lunged toward the ruins meticulously disguised by the holographic projection.

Dozens of seconds later...

In the night sky over Gaza, four extremely dazzling white orbs of light ignited one after another, like falling suns! Only then did the deafening, earth-shattering explosions follow! Even from several kilometers away, one could feel the violent tremors and the searing heat waves radiating from the ground.

At the center of the explosions, massive mushroom-shaped pillars of smoke, mixed with fire, dust, and chemical clouds, surged hundreds of meters into the air. Terrifying overpressure and high temperatures instantly swept across an area of nearly one square kilometer. Even the real ruins outside the holographic projection were plowed over again by the shockwaves; nearby debris was either blown away or ignited.

Concealed at a safe distance, the 'Lens' film crew used vibration-stabilized telephoto lenses and thermal imagers to record this destructive scene in its entirety. On screen, the massive fireballs, the smoke pillars, and the flickering holographic images distorted by heat and shockwaves—transmitted by the simulation equipment in its final moments before destruction—were all clearly recorded.

Almost simultaneously, another 'Lens' crew quickly determined the direction of real residential areas likely to be affected based on the shockwaves and sound, and risked their lives to head there.

The footage they captured was equally shocking. Although the primary destructive energy was absorbed by the decoy zone, the peripheral shockwaves and projectiles still caused severe damage to an already fragile residential area. Dozens of precarious houses collapsed; civilian casualties were being tallied as cries for help echoed through the rubble. More importantly, they collected samples of abnormal chemical residues in the air and fragments of incomplete special munitions—conclusive evidence of the use of banned weapons.

Inside the 'Rock' command post, Sinwar watched the footage of the decoy zone being completely destroyed and the reports of damage to the residential area. There was no joy on his face, only a deeper chill and resolve.

"Record all data. Package the comparison footage of the decoy zone before and after the strike, the explosion characteristics of the special munitions, the damage to the residential area, and the evidence of banned weapon residues. Include the recording of Lavitz's authorized call (source technically processed)." Sinwar's voice was like a Siberian gale. "The title will be... 'The Final Madness: A Record of the Squid Nation's Defense Minister Authorizing Genocide with Banned Weapons.'"

"Send it to Naypyidaw immediately and request the President's authorization to release it globally in the most aggressive manner possible!"

"Yes, sir!"

Just as Sinwar was preparing this public relations nuclear bomb, an emergency communication arrived from the front lines.

"Report, Marshal! We've detected massive enemy movement on the northern border of the Squid Nation! Multiple armored and mechanized infantry brigades are retreating! White flags and makeshift ceasefire signs have appeared on parts of the southern front! Enemy communication channels are in chaos, with units asking if 'the war is over' or if 'the Minister has stepped down'!"

Sinwar's eyes narrowed. It seemed Lavitz's madness had perhaps accelerated his own downfall and the collapse of the Squid Nation's war machine.

"Order the frontline troops to maintain high alert but refrain from proactive attacks for now. Closely monitor enemy movements. Also, establish emergency communication with Naypyidaw; I need to know the latest political developments in Tel Aviv."

Soon, intelligence reports from Zhang Cheng and Li Lanzhi arrived: less than an hour after Lavitz authorized the 'Final Purge,' his orders were detected by high-ranking military officials and urgently reported to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister was furious and held an emergency cabinet meeting overnight. A resolution was passed to suspend Lavitz from his duties as Minister of Defense and order the military to cease all offensive actions not authorized by the High Command (the Prime Minister), specifically banning the use of any special or prohibited munitions. Lavitz himself was under house arrest awaiting investigation. Within the Squid Nation, the voices of the peace faction grew rapidly, and the call for an immediate unconditional ceasefire and negotiations became the mainstream.

"The opportunity has come." A sharp light flashed in Sinwar's eyes. "Order all combat units: in areas where the enemy is retreating or assuming a defensive posture, they may advance moderately to reclaim tactical points and expand the buffer zone. But do not engage in large-scale pursuit to avoid traps. Focus on consolidating the current front lines, assisting civilians, and preparing for... potential ceasefire negotiations."

He paused, looking at the massive smoke pillars slowly dissipating on the screen and the tragic state of the residential area.

"However, before the negotiations begin, we must first send a 'grand gift' to Lavitz and the Squid Nation military."

Half an hour later, while global media was still processing the news of the 'Grey Wolf's' crushing defeat, an even longer, bloodier, and more shocking video was released. Centered around 'The Eyes of Gaza' and several newly registered accounts that instantly gained massive attention, it ignited the global internet once again.

The video began with Lavitz's raspy, crazed voice authorizing the 'Final Purge' (the voice was processed but identifiable). This was followed by satellite footage of the Squid Nation's artillery movements and firing (source mysterious). Then came the trajectory of those four 'Fortress Destroyers' streaking across the night sky, followed by the four destructive suns and the towering mushroom clouds upon impact! The camera switched to a ground-level telephoto panorama of the shocking explosions. Next, side-by-side footage showed that the destroyed 'target area' had been 'restored' via technology to show it was 'originally' a complex of buildings with hospital and school markings (the illusion created by the holographic projection). A cold voiceover pointed out: under the authorization of the Defense Minister, the Squid Nation military used internationally banned fuel-air bombs in an attempt to destroy a 'command center' (actually ruins) disguised as civilian facilities.

But the climax of the video was in the second half: the tragic scenes of the real residential area being affected, footage of civilian casualties (blurred but still shocking), rescuers pulling children's bodies from the rubble, technicians collecting air and shrapnel samples, and finally, the lab report identifying banned chemical components.

The video ended with Sinwar standing inside the real, intact underground command post (with busy but orderly staff visible in the background). Facing the camera, his voice was calm yet contained a torrential fury: