Yu Lian said that this was the first time he had seen a troubled expression on the face of this old marshal, whose will was as strong as steel.
However, the hesitation vanished in a flash. He quickly put on a stern expression and said, "Many people believe that the Empire has behaved extremely sincerely in this matter—so sincerely that it hardly seems like the Empire's usual style. What do you think?"
"When something abnormal happens, there must be something sinister behind it! Your Excellency, there must be more to this matter!"
"Then, if it really... I mean, assuming the worst, if a conflict with the Empire really breaks out, can we maintain a balanced situation while keeping our forces equal? For the past year, you've spent almost all your time operating alongside the Empire's fleet. No one in the entire army understands the combat strength of the Imperial military better than you do. You're the only one qualified to answer this question."
"Put simply, if we fought the Empire with equal forces under equal conditions, could we win?" Yu Lian sighed. "What do you think, Your Excellency?"
That rhetorical question alone was enough to explain many things. The old marshal sighed as well. "That's why the Supreme Leader and the Cabinet are finding it so difficult to make this decision. Even if we're going to withdraw our troops, we have to wait and see a little longer."
If the Cabinet did not make up its mind, the National Defense Committee could not issue an order, and Military Command Headquarters could only remain hesitant as well.
"...But with more than two thousand warships maintained on the New World front, can we really afford this kind of expenditure?" The moment Yu Lian finished speaking, he regretted it somewhat.
To put it