Chapter 557: Assemble No Fewer Than Fifty Divisions

"In any line of work there will be people injured or even killed," Chen Feng answered calmly, "Miners die in mining accidents, construction workers die in accidents, fishermen die in storms. The risk in wartime work is higher, so the pay is higher. It's a personal choice, not a coercion by the state."

The debate has now become a tangle of semantics.

Wilson raised his hand to stop Lansing from continuing. He knew that on this issue the entanglement was meaningless. Chen Feng had already offered a legally sound explanation, and Meilika lacked conclusive evidence to overturn it.

More importantly, Meilika itself was doing something similar—just in a different form.

"Mr. Chen," Wilson said, "we'll stop the discussion here. What matters is the future, not the past."

Chen Feng nodded: "I agree."

He prepared to leave again. This time, Lansing did not block him.

But as he reached the doorway, Chen Feng stopped, turned and said, "Mr. President, Mr. Secretary of State, I want to say finally: in a complex world, absolute black and white are rare. Meilika lent money to Yingguo, Lanfang organized mercenaries, Yingguo plotted a conspiracy to have Deguo attack Meilika ships… We all operate in the gray zone, each seeking justification for our own interests. The only difference is that some admit this, others do not."

He looked at Wilson: "You are an idealistic person, which is precious. But please don't let ideals blind you to the complexity of reality. In this war there are no innocents, only participants to varying degrees."

After speaking, he pushed the door open and walked out with Wang Wenwu.

The door closed behind them.

In the operations briefing room, only three Meilika personnel remained.

A long time passed with no one speaking.

Lieutenant General Rodman was the first to break the silence: "Mr. President, his words… make sense. If the war expands, Lanfang could indeed become a problem we must face."

"I know," Wilson sat down again, hands covering his face, "God, I know."

Lansing stepped beside him: "We need to devise a response plan. If Lanfang truly sides with Deguo, if their fleet appears in the Indian Ocean or the Pacific…"

"That would mean a two‑front war," Rodman continued, "Yingguo cannot handle it alone; we need to split forces for support. Our main force must stay in the Atlantic to counter Deguo's open‑sea fleet."

"So Chen Feng was right," Wilson lifted his head, bloodshot eyes, "a single Meilika decision could trigger a chain reaction, eventually leading to a global conflict. And then, will we regret today's choice?"

No one could answer that question.

The clock on the wall read 11:40 a. m. In twenty minutes Wilson would set out for Washington. In forty‑eight hours he would speak in Congress, likely announcing Meilika's preparation to enter the war.

History was accelerating, and they were all seated in the cockpit, unable to steer the train.

"Prepare," Wilson finally said, "we're heading back to Washington. Robert, come with me. General Rodman, the defense of Pearl Harbor is yours. Especially… keep a close eye on Lanfang's fleet movements."

"Yes, Mr. President."

Wilson stood, gave one last glance at the Pacific chart. In that vast blue expanse, Hawaii was just a tiny dot, yet at this moment that dot bore the weight of the world.

He recalled Chen Feng's final words: "There are no innocents, only participants to varying degrees."

Yes. In this global tragedy everyone is a participant. The difference is that some chose to act, some chose to be passive, but in the end everyone must bear the consequences.

He turned and left the room, his steps heavy.

Behind him, on the Pacific chart, the small model representing Lanfang's fleet lay quietly at Pearl Harbor. On the other side of the Atlantic, more models were moving, more decisions being made, more blood about to be shed.

Once the wheels of war start turning, they are hard to stop.

And today, in this windowless room, someone gave it another push.

Back on the transport boat returning to the "Huaihe," Chen Feng said nothing.

Wang Wenwu stood beside him, feeling the heavy pressure. He knew the recent talks had truly broken down. All the effort, all the hope, ended at that moment.

The sea wind blew, carrying the Pacific's distinctive salty scent. In the distance, the silhouette of the "Huaihe" appeared especially majestic yet lonely under the noon sun.

When the transport boat docked at the gangway, Captain Zhang Haitao was already waiting. He saw Chen Feng's expression and immediately understood the outcome.

"President…"

"Back to the bridge." Chen Feng said only three words.

He boarded the "Huaihe," crossed the tidy deck, entered the bridge, and reached the operations room behind it. After the door closed, Chen Feng finally released his clenched fist.

"Send a telegram to Prime Minister Xiyuan Si Gongwang of the Sakura Nation," his voice was calm, but beneath the calm lay steel resolve, "using the highest encryption level. Content: Immediately launch Phase Two of the Sakura Plan. Assemble forces of no fewer than fifty divisions, complete armament and training, ready for deployment at any time. The first ten divisions must achieve combat readiness within three months."

Wang Wenwu recorded quickly, his hand trembling, "Fifty divisions… that's over a million men. Will Prime Minister Xiyuan Si Gongwang agree?"

"He will agree," Chen Feng said, moving to the Pacific chart, "because if Meilika enters the war and Deguo is defeated, the post‑war order will be led by Meilika and Yingguo. Then the Sakura Nation's position in Yazhou will be squeezed, and their interests in Cao County may not be secure. But if the Sakura Nation now shows sufficient strength and plays a sufficient role in the war, they can secure a better position after the conflict."

He turned to Wang Wenwu: "The essence of politics is trade. We supply the Sakura Nation with weapons, funds, technology; they supply manpower. We help them achieve military modernization, they help us… balance the world's forces."

"But the cost of doing so…"

"The price is that the war will expand, more people will die," Chen Feng continued, "but if we don't act, the price may be Lanfang's survival. Wang Wenwu, do you understand? When Wilson decided to enter the war, he not only chose war but also chose a reshuffling of world power. In this reshuffling, small and emerging nations will be squeezed, forced to pick sides, compelled to sacrifice their own interests."

He walked to the window, looking at Pearl Harbor: "I don't want to pick a side; I want to take the third path. But if the world forces only two options, then I can only choose the side that best protects Lanfang."