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Time passed second by second.
Foreign ministries, intelligence agencies, and newsrooms around the world watched the clock.
Waiting for Rabbit Nation to respond to Eagle Nation's severe statement.
One hour passed, and Rabbit Nation remained silent.
Five hours passed, and Rabbit Nation's Foreign Ministry canceled its regular press conference.
No spokesperson appeared, and the situation grew urgent.
Ten hours passed, and aside from routine news, its official channels had yet to mention the carrier incident.
This total silence left all observers suffocated and uneasy.
Within Eagle Nation, from strategic think tanks to street-corner discussions, speculation ran wild.
Then, after this nearly daylong silence had stretched to its limit.
At 7:30 p.m., Rabbit Nation time.
Through all its national news agencies, mainstream television stations, and official online platforms, it released the following statement in perfect unison:
"To test the combat capabilities of our forces, safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and preserve regional peace and stability.
Beginning at midnight tomorrow, our People's Army will conduct a seven-day joint military exercise involving multiple service branches.
In designated sea areas.
During the exercise, multiple training subjects will be conducted, including live-fire drills, naval and aerial confrontation, joint anti-submarine operations, and regional air defense.
To ensure safety, the relevant waters will be designated as temporary no-navigation zones.
All unauthorized vessels and aircraft are prohibited from entering. Please take note!
The wording of the announcement was standard and restrained, in the usual military tone, yet every word was examined under a magnifying glass by military experts around the world.
Most crucially, the attached sea coordinates showed that its core area.
Was only around twenty nautical miles from the nearest current location of the Japan Footpan Chicken carrier, which had been towed away after suffering an internal explosion yesterday!
This was not a response. This was