Darkstone Code

Chapter 1216 - 1214: The Previous Second [12/?]

In a leisurely afternoon, the Imperial Capital of Gafura had just experienced a rain.

The damp air after the rain carried the fragrance of earth, some plant in the flowerpot was stretching its branches, and droplets were hanging on the flowers, everything felt so comfortable and reassuring.

Behind the windowsill under the flowerpot, a few gentlemen sat together, holding either Kleve or large pipes, each contemplating the news brought by the Prime Minister.

The Federation’s President personally called to try to extort money from them.

When they first heard this news... everyone thought the Prime Minister was just too bored and wanted to trick everyone for fun.

When he really gathered everyone together, they all realized this wasn’t a joke.

"I think... we can give them something. It’s not much money, and given our current situation, we can’t afford to make any other decisions at this time."

The first to speak was the Minister of the Army. Compared to sending his men to die, he felt giving money was better, since in the end, they’d have to pay anyway.

He transformed the money into compensation for the families of the fallen soldiers, which not only made the Ministry of the Army increasingly dissatisfied with him but also prompted people to throw stones into his yard at night or smear dog feces on his car windshield.

Yet giving the money to the Federation not only wouldn’t cause casualties among their own people but also would highlight Gafura’s role in the entire event.

He added, "This time we must deploy a military observation group to reassess the combat capabilities of the Federation and Peng Jieao’s armies."

After these words, the atmosphere in the room shifted slightly.

When Gafura arrogantly demanded Peng Jieao must yield a port for their warship supplies, they did not realize what kind of people their opponents were.

Then war broke out, Peng Jieao was beaten away from the coast, at least according to Gafura’s official narrative.

They just quickly evacuated the coastal areas after a naval defeat, leading Gafura to think they were just a soft nation, sending their soldiers into hell.

It was an unforgettable journey to hell, the brutal Peng Jieao were mercilessly savage, a nightmare for anyone who participated in the war!

Then both sides truly ignited their anger, more and more people were drawn into the vortex.

It was this war that made Gafura realize a harsh truth that a powerful navy can do many things, but it cannot complete the entire process of ’invasion’!

They couldn’t invade others, like a strong man who had been castrated.

With no excessive desires to make him rest well, be spirited, think simply and grow quickly.

After careful training, he could easily defeat enemies several times his own, and further make a girl sob uncontrollably.

But anyhow, they could not make the encouragement quiver from the core!

This is Gafura; like a castrated general, he can defeat his enemies but conquer no land.

Now Gafura’s army has begun to change somewhat with the help of some mercenaries, but... changes are limited.

Instead of sending soldiers to die, Gafura’s royal officials already have some ideas; perhaps they are more suited to those advanced war machines.

The Minister of the Army’s proposal quickly gained everyone’s support; indeed, in Gafura, the nobility could hold important positions without public elections, but people always cherish their reputation.

There might even be political compromises made due to pressure.

No one had objections, and the Prime Minister wouldn’t disagree with everyone, nodding, "Indeed, it’s just a small amount of money, other things are more important!"

The Gafura representative of the World Development Committee quickly agreed to the Federation representative’s motion and transferred the money into the account designated by the World Development Committee.

With Gafura setting an example, how could other countries oppose these two strongest nations?

Moreover, they knew well that in World War I they actually benefited; if the war went on until the end, they’d certainly be the ones who couldn’t bear it. If Peng Jieao were allowed to develop through plunder now, there probably wouldn’t be a need for them in the next World War.

Because even if they participated, it wouldn’t matter, everything would be over!

The rich contribute money, the populous offer manpower, also making the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of International Affairs, as well as the President’s Mansion, suddenly understand how to, in the name of justice, impose what they don’t want on others.

Extorting the international community indeed felt accomplished, regardless of how much money was extorted, at least it felt accomplished!

Following the Speaker of Nagariel’s New Federation actively applying to the Federation for military aid, and under the dual approval of the Federation’s President and Congress, the fifteenth and seventeenth army divisions began boarding ships.

Simultaneously, the 13,500 employees gathered back by Darkstone Security also began boarding ships, the port was crowded with citizens and reporters, everyone was praying for these soldiers, hoping they could defeat the evil core and represent the Federation to save world peace!

Within just a week, nearly eighty thousand people arrived at the easternmost part of Nagariel, including other countries’ United Forces.

These people perhaps also wanted to observe closely the combat capabilities of the Federation soldiers, and the army strength of Peng Jieao.

The terrain to the east of Nagariel is very flat, with vast untouched primeval jungles and a river known as the source of life.

Upon reaching the predetermined location, the battle command center came online. According to their analysis, it is highly likely that the Peng Jieao Army would attack along the coast from the southeast to the northwest, so defensive works should first be set up on both banks of the river.

Drawing such a conclusion is not actually complicated. In the strategic command room, the view along both banks is relatively open due to the natural environment, and there are mudflats that can facilitate vehicle movement.

Using the primeval jungle as a path for a surprise attack is obviously somewhat idealistic.

The dense forests are impassable for any vehicles, unless they spend a lot of time and manpower to carve out a road, but that is clearly impossible.

Thus, some local Nagariel residents quickly began to establish defensive works around the mudflats in coordination with the United Forces.

Gun emplacements, bunkers, these are relatively common, and they also dug many traps in the nearby dense forest.

A large number of outposts, both visible and hidden, spread out, keeping an eye on the situation on the Peng Jieao side.

However... sometimes the existence of some people is just to break common sense.

For example, the Peng Jieao Army.

"The Bailer’s planes have been circling overhead these days, and it’s getting on my nerves!"

In the dense forest, an officer was riding a horse, moving at a speed slightly faster than a jog through the woods.

Behind him, there were two thousand cavalry!

All the warhorses were very quiet, quickly following the horse in the lead at a trot.

The trees in the dense forest are actually not as packed as people imagine, one next to another.

In the ecosystem of nature, there is a limit to how many trees can grow in a certain area because trees also need to compete for resources to grow.

At the base of every big tree lies many of its kind or different species.

Plants that never get sunlight quickly rot and decay in rounds of rainwater, eventually becoming nutrients for a certain big tree, so it’s not that dense here.

The low bushes on the ground are somewhat troublesome, but the Peng Jieao people had long developed methods to deal with them. All horse hooves and lower legs were wrapped with leather armor, which did not affect the horses’ movements but protected their hooves and legs.

How fast they run depends on how quickly the path-clearing people in front can clear those obstacles.

Another officer raised his head upon hearing this, glancing at a plane flashing through the gaps between the leaves, smiling somewhat contemptuously.

"Sometimes you can’t rely too much on technology. He can’t see us, but we can see him..."

The other officer pursed his lips and shut his mouth.

The party quickly shuttled through the dense forest. There are actually four such teams. They are well aware of what the Federation has done, just as Gafura also inserts spies into the Federation.

They know the Federation established a defense line on the mudflats but overlooked the depths of the dense forest.

The Federation’s geographical environment does not have the capability to form tropical primeval jungles, so they don’t know much about this area.

The Peng Jieao Army is different; they have conquered many regions and know how to maneuver and fight in the jungle.

As long as they bypass the defense line, destroy their supply lines, and then flank them from both sides, the Federation people will quickly collapse.

The officer waved his hand as if mosquitoes were approaching him again. He took a small bottle from his pocket and sprayed it on his skin exposed to the air.

The mosquitoes hovering around him turned away.

Poisonous snakes, mosquitoes, various poisonous plants, and accurate directions — solving these issues will make the dense forest exceptionally safe.

While both sides have started attempting to make contact, the speakers of the New Federation in Nagariel are not idle. They constantly condemn Peng Jieao for eyeing and invading the New Federation in the international community.

They claim it’s a shameful, evil act of invasion, and hope the Peng Jieao ruling class quickly realizes the severity of what they are doing and immediately withdraws from Nagariel’s Eastern Region.

The Chief Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Peng Jieao Empire neither admits nor denies, always stating that they are looking for their nobles. Once they are found, they will retire immediately, also calling for both parties to remain restrained and calm, not to start a war lightly.

These people are definitely old hands at such matters, fluent in lies.

Following that, the member states of the World Development Committee joined the fray, followed by the member states of the Peng Jieao Group.

As if suddenly, people forget the possible imminent conflict in the eastern part of Nagariel, all focused on how to stand on the moral high ground of public opinion to deliver a punch to the enemy!