"From what I remember, you supported this war too," Claire Underwood said.
"But not now," Francis Underwood said. "And certainly not the way Operation Zero envisions it."
"I don't deny that." Claire took another sip of wine, paused for several seconds, then continued. "It's madness. Unthinkable."
"Do you know what worries me most?" Francis Underwood said. "They've already come to see war as the only way to solve problems. They wage war for war's sake. Even if there are other options, they will only choose war. They've become almost incapable of living without it. Only war... can prove their worth."
He brought the cigarette to his lips, intending to take another drag, but the frustration in his heart only grew stronger. He stubbed out the cigarette, more than half of it still remaining. "I've always believed that once we had the Dyson Ring and the Matter Unloader, we had the future. What lies between us and the Galactic Empire will indeed inevitably lead to war, but the way that war is fought should not be the madness of Operation Zero."
He paused, took the bottle from his wife's hand, and drank. "We can defend ourselves, and we have absolutely no problem doing so. We've run countless simulations, even under the worst possible conditions—the odds of the Galactic Empire taking Dawn Star Planet while maintaining the integrity of its internal structure are below ten percent. We won this marathon, Claire. We really won..."
"That was Tang Xiao's achievement," Claire said seriously.
"That's right. And that's why he can lead all of us charging toward an even crazier war," Francis Underwood said. "Even though this war is already completely unnecessary. The Galactic Empire wants us dead more than anyone. They want to launch an attack immediately more than anyone. But why haven't