Inside the Command Center formed by Great East's think tanks and General Staff, vast amounts of information converged, allowing commanders to monitor developments across the Pacific Ocean in real time.
Professor Zhang of Fudan University, representing the think tank, paced around the room. From time to time, he stopped and turned to look at the enormous vertical map on the wall, which marked the major sea routes currently in use. The Sky Pit was indicated by a massive red dot.
With the Pacific route cut off, Great East had only two major routes left. One went south through the Strait of Malacca, across the Indian Ocean, Red Sea, and Mediterranean Sea, eventually reaching Europe. The other was the Arctic shipping lane that would emerge as global warming melted the Arctic—a key cooperative project between Great East and Russia.
The Arctic route could greatly shorten the distance from Great East to Europe while avoiding sensitive and uncertain areas like the Strait of Malacca and the Suez Canal, making the route safer. Almost the entire journey passed through Russia's doorstep. For such a lucrative project, if anyone tried to interfere, the Slavs would show them the power of the bear.
Meanwhile, with the Pacific route cut off, Great East's goods had to be routed through Europe, then sent across the Atlantic Ocean to the USA. Who knew whether those European capitalists would slap on a label, add another zero to the price, and sell them to the American suckers? Just like how Turkey and India resold secondhand oil and natural gas to European suckers at marked-up prices.
Thinking of this, the think tank professor rubbed his throbbing temples. He had been constantly pondering problems lately, and it felt like he had overworked his brain.
"Professor Zhang! The United Nations has reached a