There were indeed people in this world who understood the international situation better than Shi Tiexin.
But absolutely not many.
Scholar Stone was at Donghua Academy and knew full well just how difficult it was for a nation impoverished and weakened for generations to cast away the old cauldron and forge the new, to strive with all its might for strength.
Great Detective Shi stood in the court of Guo Country and saw the unfathomable foundations and confidence of the old Western developed nations, as well as their tangled, interlocking chains of interests as clearly as lines on his palm.
As the Hanging Sword and a hero of three wars, Big Brother had personally lived through the great war between Eastern and Western superpowers. He understood exactly how much courage, wisdom, and sacrifice it took to defeat an enemy and claim victory.
Black Venerable understood even more deeply that the ever-shifting international situation had never gone according to any side's wishes. Without sufficient political resolve and far-sighted vision, never mind unifying the world—even gaining a foothold internationally would be a problem.
Even Shi Tiexin, the powerful cultivator, found it difficult to come up with a suitable approach.
The only measure he could think of was to first advance to the Third Heavenly Layer, then raise troops and climb the tech tree at home; hypnotize others and prop up puppets abroad; launch black satellites into space; alter undersea cables deep in the oceans; seize supplies by every possible means; and recruit talent without sticking to a single mold. He would use cheats like that for at least ten years, then assess the situation, find an opportunity to concoct an excuse and seize the high ground of public opinion, and only then decide whether to embark on the path of domination.
Even