Chapter 596: To Yinghua Guo

The lifting platform slowly returned him to the ground. The high-ranking Military officials crowded around, their expressions a mix of ecstasy and fear.

"Chief Engineer Li," the old general said with a trembling voice, "this... this is simply a miracle! With Chiyou, who would still dare to look down on our Long Country?"

Another officer nodded in agreement: "Indeed, with such a weapon, the Star-Spangled Country and Beijixiong Guo will never dare to threaten us again!"

Li Mingyuan wiped the sweat from his forehead and revealed a weary smile: "This is just the beginning. Chiyou's full potential is far from being unleashed."

Minister Zhang frowned: "What do you mean?"

Li Mingyuan's gaze suddenly became sharp and firm: "It is time to let the world know the strength of Long Country. I am preparing to pilot Chiyou to Yinghua Guo for a trip."

The entire workshop fell into Silence instantly; everyone stared at Li Mingyuan with wide eyes, as if he had just spoken some fantastical, insane nonsense.

"You... what did you say?" Minister Zhang's voice was hoarse, "Go to Yinghua Guo?"

"That's right," Li Mingyuan nodded, his tone calm enough to be alarming, "Since World War II, Yinghua Guo has always been the pawn of the Star-Spangled Country in Asia. We need a deterrent display to make them and their masters behind them understand that Long Country is not a weak nation that can be bullied at will."

"Madness, this is complete madness!" The old general waved his hands excitedly, "Do you know what this means? This is equivalent to declaring war! The Star-Spangled Country has a large number of military bases in Yinghua Guo; once they discover Chiyou, they will immediately dispatch their air force and navy to intercept!"

"Let them come," Li Mingyuan sneered, "Chiyou can walk on the seabed and fly in the high altitude. Its Stealth System can evade any existing Radar monitoring. By the time they discover it, it will be too late."

"No, absolutely not!" Minister Zhang firmly opposed, "This is too risky! We have just recovered our strength, and the country is not yet strong enough to risk provoking an international conflict!"

The high-ranking Military officials also voiced their opposition one after another:

"This will trigger a diplomatic crisis!"

"What if there is an operational error and it causes civilian casualties?"

"The Star-Spangled Country might use this as an excuse to launch comprehensive sanctions or even military strikes against us!"

Facing the opposition of the crowd, Li Mingyuan appeared unusually calm: "Gentlemen, you are considering the problem from the perspective of conventional warfare. But the existence of Chiyou has completely changed the rules of the game. It is not a conventional weapon, but a strategic deterrent tool."

"This is too risky," Minister Zhang insisted, "I must report to my superiors; before receiving explicit approval, Chiyou cannot leave the base for even a step!"

Facing the opposition of the crowd, Li Mingyuan maintained a strange calmness; this calmness was more unsettling than anger.

"I understand your concerns," he said softly, his gaze sweeping over every tense face, "but some things must be done, and can only be done now."

Minister Zhang shook his head solemnly: "Lao Li, this is not the time for jokes. We have just recovered from the trauma of civil war, the international situation is complex, and behind Yinghua Guo are the nuclear warheads and aircraft carriers of the Star-Spangled Country. You are dragging Long Country into the abyss of war!"

"War?" Li Mingyuan chuckled, "Minister Zhang, the truly strong never need to fight. On the contrary, what I want to do is ensure that for the next fifty years, no one dares to use force against Long Country."

The old general stepped forward in a rage: "No! Absolutely not! This is an unauthorized provocation of an international conflict and a serious violation of military discipline!"

Li Mingyuan watched them quietly and suddenly said: "Do you know why I chose Sakura Mountain in Yinghua Guo?"

Before anyone could answer, he continued: "Because it is a dormant volcano, and geologists predict an 80% probability of a natural eruption within the next ten years. When it erupts, at least three million Yinghua Guo civilians will perish in the disaster."

The venue fell into Silence, and everyone was stunned.

"And my plan," Li Mingyuan said in a low voice, "is to trigger a controllable, small-scale eruption in advance to release the accumulated crustal energy, while simultaneously demonstrating the technological prowess of Long Country. This is not a war operation, but a strategic display that also possesses the nature of humanitarian relief."

Minister Zhang and the high-ranking Military officials looked at each other, not knowing how to refute him for a moment. Li Mingyuan struck while the iron was hot: "Most of Yinghua Guo's military bases are far from Sakura Mountain, and the population density is relatively low. Through precision strikes, I can control the scale of the eruption, minimize casualties, and at the same time warn the world—Long Country is no longer the weak nation that could be slaughtered at will sixty years ago."

"This is too risky," Minister Zhang still insisted, "What if it gets out of control? What if it causes mass casualties? The international community will view us as war criminals!"

Li Mingyuan had already turned and walked toward Chiyou: "Sometimes, history requires someone to make seemingly crazy decisions. Minister Zhang, please tell my superiors that I will return in three hours to accept any punishment."

"Stop him!" the old general shouted, and several officers immediately rushed forward.

However, it was already too late.

Li Mingyuan flashed, leaped onto the lifting platform, and the platform sent him to the hatch on Chiyou's chest at an incredible speed. The hatch opened instantly, he slipped inside, and the robotic arm quickly connected the neural probes to his spine and Taiyang.

"All systems, emergency start!"

Chiyou's single eye instantly lit up with a blinding red light, and the energy circuits all over its body changed from ghostly blue to incandescent white. A visible ripple of energy expanded outward from its body, causing the lights and equipment in the workshop to fail simultaneously, plunging everything into darkness.

"Damn it! He locked the power system!" a technician shouted in panic.

In the darkness, one could only see the flowing energy circuits on Chiyou and its scarlet single eye, which looked like the gate to hell. Amidst a massive mechanical roar, Chiyou slowly raised its right arm, pointing toward the thick dome overhead.

"Stop him! Initiate emergency lockdown!" Minister Zhang's voice echoed in the darkness.

It was too late. The Plasma Cutting Cannon on Chiyou's right arm finished charging, and a blinding blue-white energy beam shot straight at the dome, instantly melting a huge circular hole. The airflow fluctuated violently, and all loose objects in the workshop were sucked toward the ceiling.

"Anti-Gravity System, full power!" Li Mingyuan's voice came through the external speakers, carrying unquestionable firmness.

The next second, an incredible scene occurred—this hundred-meter-tall steel giant shot straight into the sky like an arrow released from a bow! Its back and the soles of its feet ejected blue-white plasma propulsion exhaust, illuminating the underground workshop as if it were daylight.

"Damn! He's crazy! He's really crazy!" The old general watched in a daze as Chiyou disappeared into the hole above, only to be immediately engulfed by dust and rubble.

On the surface, the quiet night was broken by a sudden, thunderous roar. Villagers in the Penglai Mountain Area watched in terror as a massive black shadow broke through the ground from underground and shot straight into the sky, trailing long blue exhaust flames, like a god from mythology manifesting.

"What is that thing? A plane? A Missile?"