Strategic Deception

Strategic deception is something that has existed since ancient times.

The strategy of reducing the number of cooking fires, the feigned repair of the plank road while secretly advancing the Chencang pass, and even the series of cunning maneuvers during World War II to deceive A Xi into believing that the Allies would land in Calais are all classic examples.

However, with the development of the times and the advancement of technology, it is hundreds or thousands of times more difficult to make a world power make a strategic misjudgment than it was during World War II. Spy satellites, high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, and even intelligence analysis that can uncover the devil from the details will make even the most unsophisticated deceptions impossible to hide.

... But when it comes to the extraordinary, it's a different story.

Trying to fool those unsophisticated bumpkins from Earth is far too easy.

What are your insights and opinions on abstract art?

Malegith replied to Kang De, "You should learn from how those artists show off with abstract things and incomprehensible installations."

I understand.

Therefore, amidst the Shogunate's intense preparations for war, the "Ritual Intimidation Spells and Battle Atmosphere Creation Section," which belonged to the Truth Office and was deeply favored by His Highness Kang De, carried out a series of tasks in full swing.

Their work was fully utilized in this strategic deception.

In the various arcane academies of Tula Xiaye, the graduation projects of students from all generations of majors such as Alchemy and Magic Engineering were piled up like mountains. The vast majority of them had little practical or collectible value. They took up space, but it wouldn't be good to throw them away. Kang De collected them all under the guise of "reference research".

The various institutions were surprised to find that the Cathayan did not care about good or bad. They were particularly fond of those works that were merely superficial, with exaggerated or even unorthodox shapes. They did not care about actual use value or energy consumption. Many design projects that were evaluated as "not having practical value" as well as blueprints and equipment that had been retired and abandoned due to the development of detection technology were also taken away by Kang De.

This was clearly contrary to common sense. In the eyes of the mages who firmly believed that everything in the world had its own logic, there must be a major reason hidden that they did not know. The relevant information was also placed on the table of the Council leaders. The spellcasters pondered for a long time and made many guesses, but in the end they gave up the search in disappointment.

The Civil War is imminent. Griffin, as a rebel, is supported by various nations, both openly and covertly, due to the Deceleration Field and national interests. Now, only Kang De is willing to stand on their side. The situation is worse than ever before. The Arcane Council is no longer qualified to explore the secrets hidden by the Dragon of Cathay.

Thus, these performance art installations, brimming with thought and meaning, were deployed at the Bruce Nuclear Power Plant, showcasing the profound meaning imbued by their creators in another world.

Capcom was the first to be affected, but now Blizzard is suffering the consequences, with strangely disguised golems moving out and placing facilities and devices resembling the Sartorea Protoss.

Even these alchemical golems are equipped with all sorts of super cool and awesome gadgets. Four-legged mechanical devices crawl around, floating armor devices sometimes strike a pose, sometimes turn on lights, some stand still and set up magic circles as if praying, and some turn on searchlights and emit bright light in all directions.

Strange behavior, inexplicable rituals, and terrifying sound and light effects plunged the earth's inhabitants into a state of extreme fear.

The once tranquil nuclear power plant, nestled amidst the shimmering lake, was gradually enveloped in thick fog. Within the fog, streaks of lightning flashed, and unsettling whispers of dirges drifted across the lake, driving the water police, who heard them, into a frenzy. In the dazzling fog, a colossal phantom rose like a majestic palace, and even the heavens seemed to echo with sacred sounds. Numerous worshippers surrounded Titan, and high walls rose from the once-flattened land.

The servants are praising, the servants are working, the servants are serving, the servants are waiting.

Thus, the nuclear power plant's administration building seemed to be cut in two by an invisible blade. The shattered reinforced concrete did not collapse with a crash, but was controlled by an invisible force and floated in the sky. The structure inside the building flipped open, heaven and earth reversed, and the order of things was reversed. Cars, roads, streetlights, flower beds, and other objects were lifted into the sky by an invisible hand, forming stars that guarded the sun, slowly floating and orbiting.

On the cleared ground, the guardians who descended from the altar erected a mysterious device, digging out crisscrossing trenches. When viewed from the sky, the patterns formed by these trenches also held their own secrets.

The obelisk was enveloped in a serene glow, and a fountain-like structure poured forth radiant water jets. The resounding bells chimed with holy tones. A mechanical golem clad in a holy robe, its eyes burning with spiritual Spark, carried a candle and walked slowly around the bell, its feet treading on blue flames.

Twisted yet luminous, evil yet sacred, inexplicable yet awe-inspiring, chaotic yet orderly, something great is happening. A grand ceremony is accompanied by the slowly unfolding of a halo of light, resounding and radiant, majestic and magnificent.

If this scene were witnessed by a high-level spellcaster from another world, they would surely...

--Revealing the expression of an elderly person looking at their phone on the subway.

Even a small, third-rate squad with low magical power, if equipped with a few sets of elemental triads and retrograde star charts, and accompanied by a few minor mid-level mages, will inevitably come to a bewildered sigh of "What the hell is all this?" after a careful and serious elemental analysis.

But from the perspective of Earthlings whose extraordinary endeavors are just beginning...

--OMG! Aliens are invading Earth!

"Quickly... quickly find Kang De!"

Even A Chuan, who had always been skeptical of Kang De based on intuition, was extremely uneasy about this situation. Who would have thought that the Titan's previous motionless ritual was actually a summoning of its accomplices!

"Are they aliens?" the president yelled. "Are they here to invade Earth? Damn it, I don't want to be that stupid president in the movies! Get Kang De to solve this problem!"

He thought for a moment, then shouted, "The bunker... oh no, Cheyenne Mountain! Get Cheyenne Mountain ready!"

As he said this, A Chuan turned and rummaged through the trash can for the copy of "AWSL Company Business Categories (English Version)" that he had thrown in, flipping through it frantically. "Bodyguards, bodyguards, bodyguards..."

"--President, Mr. President!" the Defense Secretary shouted, "Please have some dignity!"

"Fuck you! Fuck you! I told you I'd use a nuclear bomb! If I'd used a nuclear bomb, none of this would have happened!" A Chuan gave him the middle finger. "You guys are always holding me back! You use all sorts of serious nerdy talk to refute my right decisions! You always mess things up!"

He kicked the chair away, grabbed his phone, and dialed Kang De's number.

"Kang De!" he cried, "Another accident has occurred at the nuclear power plant!"

A somber voice came from the other end of the phone. "I know, Donald, I saw it."

A Chuan shouted, spittle flying, "Take care of them! Kill all these bastards, blow them to pieces, shred them to dust, including Titan! I'll give you a hundred billion! Solve this problem completely!"

Upon hearing this, the defense minister's eyes widened, and he took two steps forward, urgently exclaiming, "Commander-in-Chief! Titan— "

"Shut up! This is absolutely the best way to solve the problem!" A Chuan roared. "Even if we capture Titan and lock it up for research, what if its friends come looking for us again like they did today? Do you want the Amerikkka to be fucked by aliens every day? Or do you agree to set China?"

The defense minister was speechless, while Kang De on the other end of the phone was startled.

--A Chuan predicted my prediction!?

After shouting, A Chuan took a few breaths and decisively said, "Kang De, one hundred billion, destroy!"

Kang De composed himself and said, "Commander, as you can see, the bandits are numerous and have summoned many powerful individuals of unknown strength. The danger has increased significantly and is unpredictable. You need to increase the pay."

Upon hearing this, A Chuan replied without hesitation, "Add more money if you want! How much do you want?!"

"..."

Holy crap! How did they pay so readily!?

Kang De was speechless for a moment, and quickly thought of a strategy. After all, his original intention was to get the American Empire to do its homework, not to have them bribe their way to the exam.

But just then, a series of random noises and faint arguments came from the phone, followed by the sound of wind and then a chaotic cacophony.

The defense minister snatched A Chuan's phone, kicked the door open, and ran out, talking to Kang De as he went.

"Mr. Kang De," he said succinctly, "The President's verbal promise cannot represent the overall will of the Amerikkka. Although this is an extremely special and urgent matter, so Congress can be bypassed for the time being, a reward of over a hundred billion dollars must be approved by Congress. Moreover, you are also demanding some physical transactions. In my opinion, even if the President agrees to this transaction, the Amerikkka smoothly."

Kang De pondered for a moment, then remained silent.

The defense minister, thinking China guy was ignorant of the democratic realities of Amerikkka, was about to explain when the other man said, "Just like in the news you always talk about, giving tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation to victims of wrongful convictions or black men mistakenly killed by police, it demonstrates the superiority of a democratic system..."

"But in reality, your impoverished government simply can't afford that much money, and considering itself a democratic government, it has even less reason to divert funds from essential and scarce resources like healthcare, education, and public transportation to compensate an insignificant family. So, at most, it will compensate a few hundred thousand dollars and then drag its feet on paying the rest. After all, you're officials, and manipulating ordinary people is a piece of cake, isn't that the logic?"

The defense secretary hesitated for a moment, then said awkwardly, "Yes... that's about it. We're not exactly flush with cash either; we can't come up with hundreds of billions of dollars to pay a company as a reward. Even if we agreed to the payment, we wouldn't be able to get immediate approval from Congress, after all..."

Kang De interrupted him, "It's alright, I can just steal it!"

--You can't!

The Defense Minister said urgently, "Mr. Kang De, I have a better suggestion than this unpleasant turn of events. The President's proposal lacks sincerity, and he will most likely renege on it. Do you really expect such an incompetent president to help you succeed? The only ones you can truly rely on are us, us who have the strength..."

He spoke quickly in a low voice as he ran.

After all, he was a soldier who graduated from West Point, served in the 101st Airborne Division, and even participated in the Gulf War. Although he became a civilian after retiring, his physical fitness has not declined!

The defense minister, moving like the wind, rushed through the corridors of the White House. The interns made way in surprise, while the president chased after him, his golden hair fluttering in the wind.

He roared, "You son of a bitch, give me back my phone!"

After finishing the phone call, the defense minister raised his hands and stood still.

A Chuan took a couple of breaths and threw a punch, which was easily dodged by his opponent. The defense minister glanced at the astonished employees and then at the camera—just now, he had really considered sending A Chuan to the ICU, but now, with everyone watching, doing so would be a one-for-one trade.

While he is loyal to his friends and partners, he is not that loyal.

So the defense minister took two steps back, letting A Chuan snatch the phone away, and said, "Sir, unconditionally satisfying Kang De's demands is not a good idea. What if something goes wrong later?"

Once A Chuan had caught his breath, he glanced at him like he was an idiot.

"By then, I would either have been re-elected or lost the election. Either way, I couldn't continue as president. So what could they do to me if something happened to me?"

"..."

Hold.

The defense minister was speechless, allowing A Chuan to try dialing Kang De's number again.

He stated frankly, "Kang De can no longer agree to your conditions."

A Chuan's expression hardened. "What did you say to him?"

"Great Commander, you have mobilized a large number of troops and supplies and invested a huge amount of upfront costs. My friends and the military are all hoping to make a profit from it, or even discover new forces that can rewrite the world order and the future, and establish a new pattern and monopoly... At this time, you plan to throw all this aside, spend a lot of money to ask Kant to solve all this, and even completely destroy Titan..."

The defense minister stepped forward and said in a low voice, "I'm not threatening you, President. I just want to say that you are also a businessman. You should know that when the path to wealth is blocked, some people are capable of anything."

A Chuan was taken aback, and a look of apprehension and even fear appeared on his face.

"You son of a bitch," he spat out through gritted teeth, "I'm going to fire you."

"After these matters are concluded, I will submit my resignation," the Secretary of Defense said calmly. "But sir, the Joint Chiefs of Staff requires your authorization. The Amerikkka military is ready to protect our national security and eternal honor... and join forces with Kang De to hunt down this Titan."

A Chuan clenched his fist, his eyes blazing with fury. "Together with Kang De... you are the ones destroying Amerikkka's honor and strength! You are stealing this country from my hands!"

The defense minister shrugged indifferently.

This kind of pointless ravings is even more laughable than constantly shouting "China, China!"

"Then, gentlemen."

Half an hour later, Kang De addressed the soldiers seated in the video, speaking eloquently, "Your previous probing attacks have failed. The Deceleration Field has weakened the power of aircraft and artillery, and air superiority is no longer present. Even missiles and shells can be intercepted. Now, our enemy has come up with a new tactic; they are establishing defensive lines and calling for reinforcements..."

The scene shifts to the chaotic scene at the Bruce Nuclear Power Plant, where Titan kneels on one knee, surrounded by towering platforms, one after another.

The kneeling worshippers surrounded the area, hands raised high, chanting silently. Then, the bricks solidified from the light, one after another, slowly and steadily laying the Titan within, as if using the Titan as a skeleton and foundation to build a colossal structure.

I think...

Kang De turned around and smiled slightly at the Amerikkka.

"Whatever they want to build—nobody wants to see it finished, right?"

"Yes, sir."

The Chief of Staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff answered his question, "The free world needs your help."

"No, no, no, don't speak for the world." Kang De shook his finger and said to the leaders of the world's leading military power, "You are just Amerikkka. Many countries have freedom."

The two sides stared at each other in silence.

After a moment, the de facto supreme commander of the United States. military calmly said, "You're right, now it's the Amerikkka who need your help, Mr. Kang De."

He leaned forward and emphasized, "In the future, you may also need our help."

Kang De looked innocent and naive. "What?"

The Chief of Joint Chiefs of Staff did not answer, but instead changed the subject. "We request your assistance."

"Then give me a plan."

Kang De smiled, "Prepare yourselves. How do you plan to break through the layers of defense and interception by an enemy possessing unknown powers, and destroy their key protected buildings, while being limited in speed and weaponry? Show me your battle plan, and I'll decide how you can cooperate with my operation."

"We'll show you soon."

After ending the communication, Kang De said to the secondary AI Horus had left there, "Get ready, unleash a few volleys of fire on Griffin's position, and see how that bastard holds out."

After speaking, he took off the Parrot's headphones. "Prepare to control those strange magical devices to create illusions... When they see a new enemy appear, the American Empire will probably have to do a few more clean-up operations. After all, they're not comfortable without doing so. But it's a traditional superpower. I even want to control these puppet legions to launch a night raid on them, so they can also have a taste of the bitter past..."

"However, I think it's better to take those long-range weapons to another world and put them to good use than to let them explode here and pollute the environment."

"Fine," the Parrot said with a sidelong glance. "You take a chess-playing app to the roadside to play chess with an old man, and then you make the same move on your phone, using the computer AI to counter him... That's shameless and lacks any sportsmanship. That's exactly the kind of person you are."

Kang De proudly declared, "I don't create firepower; I'm merely a conduit for it, enabling the invincible American Empire, which can only fight aliens, to transcend time and space and engage in aerial combat with a powerful magical nation from another world. They can not only fight to their hearts' content but also avoid harming each other and committing atrocities. Isn't that a wonderful thing?"

In another world, south of Nar City, lies the border between two nations.

The vanguard of the Northern Council, which had entered the country and established a base, encountered a Flame that swept across the boundless night as they prepared for battle.

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PS1: Finally home... Today's flights were a nightmare, thankfully it wasn't too late. Ah, my old computer, the incredibly slow internet, the confusing Wi-Fi... Ah, I'm home... (gazing into the distance)