Chapter 259: Thunderous Intelligence Net

In a single night, the winds and clouds changed.

Just as high officials and nobles inside the First United Fleet Headquarters at Sasebo Naval Base of the Eastern Empire were still toasting and celebrating the crushing victory they expected, two disasters capable of shaking the empire's foundations were silently descending in a nearly simultaneous, ruthless manner over the distant seas of Shen City and the lands of Yan Province.

On the raging waves of the Eastern Sea, the Eastern Empire Navy's prized and emblematic "Nagato" mixed fleet—comprising the formidable Nagato battleship, two Fusō‑class battleships, four Myōkō‑class heavy cruisers, eight Fubuki‑class destroyers as its fifteen core vessels, plus several accompanying support ships—suffered a devastating strike from the German‑style fleet that Lin Yu had summoned like a phantom.

Advanced fire control, terrifying artillery, and a lethal submarine ambush buried that once‑imperious fleet—and its commander Yamaguchi Tamon—in the cold seabed. Its former pride turned into burning wreckage and floating corpses; the entire force was annihilated, with no survivor.

Meanwhile, on the seemingly tranquil lands of Yan Province, the Shen City Intelligence Bureau under Qi Ming Yuan launched a lightning‑fast, region‑wide net‑casting operation. From Kunshan to Dongchi and then to Yunxu, the intelligence outposts, secret radio stations, and covert agents that the Eastern Empire had painstakingly built over years with countless resources were simultaneously eradicated with precision and thoroughness.

The agents were either captured in their sleep or slain after brief resistance; all equipment, documents, and contact codes were seized in total. The Eastern Empire's most important intelligence network in southeastern Huaxia was uprooted in a single night, completely paralyzed!

The military disaster and the intelligence blow occurred almost simultaneously! This was no coincidence, but a combination strike meticulously planned and deployed by Lin Yu. The iron fist at sea shattered the enemy's outstretched claws, while the silent rope on land cut off the foe's eyes and ears.

This sea‑and‑land coordinated strategy of simultaneous military strike and intelligence purge showcased Lin Yu's grasp of the whole picture and the new regime's terrifying execution efficiency.

What a stark irony! **In the banquet hall of Sasebo, Grand Admiral Ōkawachi Den, Seventh Grand General, was still solemnly proclaiming the empire's glory, and the officers were still mocking Lin Yu's overreach, while the fleet they boasted of was heading for destruction and their intelligence network across Yan Province was being uprooted.

The wails from the deep sea and the silent captures on land starkly contrasted with the brilliantly lit banquet hall, awash with arrogance and revelry.

The Eastern Empire, in the two crucial realms of military and intelligence, suffered unprecedented, disgraceful blows simultaneously. Once this double defeat reaches the Eastern homeland, it will raise towering waves, delivering unimaginable shock and panic to the high‑ranking officials lost in the dream of hegemony.

And all this is merely Lin Yu's first formal retaliation against the massive empire.

Shen City, Lin Gong Guan, late night.

Outside the window, the night was deep; the city that had been noisy all day finally fell silent. The cannon fire at sea had long ceased, and the land‑based arrests had quietly concluded.

In Lin Yu's study, the light was soft. He had shed the black general's uniform that symbolized iron blood and power, changing into a loose, comfortable off‑white silk nightgown, reclining in a wide leather sofa, holding a glass of amber brandy that he gently swirled.

The air was tinged with faint cigar smoke and the scent of alcohol, blending with the night outside, creating a rare post‑battle tranquility.

His face no longer bore the coldness and ruthlessness of the battlefield; instead, it showed complete relaxation and satisfaction.

A faint, almost imperceptible smile lingered at the corner of his mouth, while his eyes glittered with the light of omniscience and total control.

He could almost clearly picture the ensuing chain reaction:

When the Grand Admiral Ōkawachi Den, Seventh Grand General, at Sasebo, still hungover, receives the official report that the Nagato fleet has been completely annihilated with no survivors, what spectacular expression will cross his face? Rage? Terror? Or an incredulous blank stare?

When the senior officials of the Tokyo Metropolis's army and navy discover that the iron fist at sea they had pinned their hopes on has been smashed, and simultaneously the Yan Province intelligence network has been uprooted, leaving them deaf and blind, what kind of quake will follow? A hysterical roar? Or panicked helplessness?

When those lofty Western Great Powers, accustomed to looking down on this land, learn that a regional warlord both has the strength and the audacity to annihilate a powerful Eastern Empire fleet, how will their envoys and consuls hurriedly dispatch telegrams to assess this suddenly emerging 'Eastern Strongman'? Shock? Caution? Or an attempt to court him?

And the decaying Da Qian Court far in the capital, when they hear this news, what will they think? Fear of this 'rebellious' power, or secret relief that the Eastern Empire suffered a huge loss? Or perhaps plotting how to use this chance to counterbalance him?

All of this was within Lin Yu's expectations. He knew clearly that the fire he had lit with his own hand had only just begun to burn.

The victory on the Eastern Sea and the sweep of Yan Province were merely the first step of his grand scheme. Next, he will face even more complex and turbulent international and domestic situations.

But at this moment, he is not impatient.

Lin Yu savors the brief tranquility the victory brings, reveling in the thrill of manipulating all the pieces at his fingertips. He takes a gentle sip of brandy, the spicy liquid sliding down his throat, delivering a warm, burning sensation.

The storm is about to arrive.

And he is already prepared to meet and ride the towering wave he himself has raised.