The date for the military exercises announced by Great Xia is drawing ever closer.
The global political stage is rife with undercurrents.
Hotlines between political leaders from various countries were frequent, and emergency meetings were held one after another.
The Five Eyes Alliance member states and other Beautiful Country allies were like ants on a hot plate.
We are constantly seeking clear solutions and assurances from the Beautiful Country.
Faced with the anxiety of its allies and immense internal pressure, the Beautiful Country president finally lost his temper.
"We can't keep guessing! We must know where the Great Xia people's bottom line is."
"Gentlemen, it's time to take the initiative."
"Let's see what these Great Xia people are really thinking!"
A carefully worded diplomatic note was urgently sent to Great Xia through special channels.
The content is cryptic, tentatively revealed.
"Are your country's recent actions related to securing critical mineral resources...?"
"Is it particularly related to the stable resource supply from Australia?"
What exactly are your core concerns?
When this note was placed on the conference table of the Great Xia Ministry of National Defense.
The attending generals were initially taken aback, then exchanged speechless glances.
Their eyes revealed a look of bewilderment, as if they were both laughing and crying.
They never expected that the other party would come up with such an outrageous idea.
"It seems that the core objective of 'Operation Raging Waves ' has been achieved."
A high-ranking general tapped his fingers on the table.
"Their attention has been completely diverted; they are no longer focusing on our unusual internal resource mobilization."
"Yeah, haha, I never thought that old joke about Australia having this problem since ancient times would actually come in handy."
"But then again... it's such a waste for them to have this land in their hands!"
A younger general spoke with regret.
His words drew nods of agreement from the crowd.
"Ahem... Okay, let's not talk about that anymore."
"Now that the purpose of the acting has been achieved, why not..."
"Let's just make the best of a bad situation!"
Soon, some 'unintentional' messages began to be released through unofficial channels.
Several economists, seemingly closely connected to the Great Xia government, spoke at a public forum.
The discussion touched upon the strained reserves of certain strategic mineral resources in China and their constraints on future development.
Official media outlets have also published articles discussing resource security and diversified supply guarantees.
Regarding the tentative note from the Beautiful Country.
The response from the Great Xia Ministry of Foreign Affairs neither confirmed nor explicitly denied the allegations.
Instead, it reiterated the legitimacy and defensive nature of the exercise.
They remained completely silent on key information such as the scale and format of the exercise.
This ambiguous attitude is seen by the Beautiful Country leadership as almost tantamount to tacit approval.
"They really are after resources!"
The Beautiful Country president slammed his fist on the table.
"Damn it, they went through all that trouble and made such a big fuss..."
"The original plan was to acquire Australia mineral resources at the lowest possible cost."
"But now that we know what they want, things will be much easier, gentlemen!"
After rounds of intense internal maneuvering and communication with allies.
The Beautiful Country quickly came up with a solution.
They conveyed a 'recommendation' to Great Xia through diplomatic channels.
" The Beautiful Country is willing to step in and mediate."
"This prompted Australia to significantly reduce the prices of key mineral resources such as iron ore, copper ore, and rare earth elements exported to Xia."
"And increased export quotas, while the Beautiful Country also pledged to lower related trade barriers."
"In exchange, we hope that Great Xia will carefully consider the scale and format of the exercise, for example..."
"The scope of the exercises should be appropriately narrowed, and conventional weapons should be used to avoid unnecessary regional tensions and international miscalculations."
The intention behind this suggestion is self-evident.
Using economic benefits to downgrade strategic deterrence.
Clearly, on this Blue Star today, no one dares, and no one wants, to witness a major power conducting a military exercise with such formidable weaponry.
Their true desire is to settle things peacefully and make money off others.
Faced with the stepping stone offered by the Beautiful Country.
After 'careful consideration,' Great Xia issued a statement the following day.
"After discussion, the exercise plan has been temporarily adjusted, downgrading the nuclear strike force exercise to a 'conventional long-range maritime combat exercise.'"
"The exercise itself was held as scheduled, and it will be deployed regularly and long-term as needed in the future."
When the news spread, countries around the world, especially those in the Pacific Ocean, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
At least, the worst-case scenario did not occur.
But once the military exercise actually began, political leaders from all countries trembled.
On the vast ocean, the waves surge and roll.
The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier battle group of the Great Xia cut through the waves and sailed toward its designated sea area.
Destroyers and frigates, like armed guards, stood protecting the left and right sides.
Underwater, attack submarines lurk in the deep blue, while in the air, carrier-based aircraft roar into the sky.
The J-90 drew a sharp arc against the azure sky, practicing high-intensity air superiority and anti-ship strike capabilities.
The calm sea was torn apart by the roar of artillery fire.
The projectiles fired by the new electromagnetic railgun swept across the sea surface at several times the speed of sound.
Thick smoke billowed from the shipborne vertical launch system, and the dense array of anti-aircraft missiles resembled an iron curtain.
This scene caused the militaries of various countries watching via satellite to gasp in shock.
I was relieved that it was just a drill.
Just as the world's attention was drawn to the billowing smoke over the Pacific Ocean...
In the southwestern border region of our motherland, amidst snow-capped mountains and ridges rarely visited by humans.
A military truck covered in camouflage netting is struggling to make its way along the winding mountain road.
In the driver's seat, Wang Tiezhu, a soldier in the truck, rubbed his bloodshot eyes.
He gave a hoarse report while gripping the walkie-talkie.
"Dongyao, Dongyao, the Mountain Eagle has arrived at the designated coordinates and requests handover."
For several consecutive days, I took turns driving with my comrades, covering thousands of kilometers.
He finally delivered the last batch of special goods marked 'municipal supplies' safely.
Soon, an off-road vehicle with a local military license plate arrived.
Several skilled soldiers deftly moved the long, silver-white boxes from the vehicle.
The box was quickly transported to a more secluded mountain stream.
An engineer with the rank of technical soldier carefully opened one of the boxes.
Inside were the same peculiarly styled streetlights that had appeared in the suburbs of Beijing before.
"Squad leader, this is a desolate place, not a soul in sight. Who are we going to light the way for with these streetlights?"
A new recruit muttered curiously.
The engineer did not answer.
He seemed to know something, and his movements became even gentler.
The street light base is fixed onto the pre-cast concrete block.
His gaze was focused as if he were examining a priceless treasure, but his heart was in turmoil.
"Who's taking the picture for... hehe..."
"When Spiritual Qi truly revives... these streetlights will be the eyes of the nation!"