General William Ster, a six-star general of the United States' United Nations forces, was furious upon hearing from his subordinate that Jing Mingqiu had come alone to issue challenges. He flipped the table and stormed out with a group of people, pointing at Jing Mingqiu's nose and yelling.
"Jing Mingqiu, don't get arrogant! Do you really think the mecha you're wearing is invincible? I'm telling you, we've already prepared twenty kinds of secret weapons targeting your mecha."
"Since you dare to storm our military camp alone, don't even think about going back alive!"
Facing the enraged William Ster, Jing Mingqiu remained remarkably calm, picking at his fingers. "That sounds terrifying. I'm here as a special envoy from the Dragon Country. Do you really dare to make a move?"
"I!" Seeing Jing Mingqiu's unconcerned demeanor, William Ster desperately wanted to give the order to fire, unleashing a barrage of missiles to reduce Jing Mingqiu to dust.
But he truly dared not. It wasn't just his concern that the weapons might be ineffective against Jing Mingqiu; more importantly, Jing Mingqiu had a powerful homeland behind him, and he had no confidence in bearing the wrath of the Dragon Country.
After his expression shifted several times, William Ster put on a very serious face. "Jing Mingqiu, you say you are a special envoy. Then tell me, what is your purpose in coming on behalf of the Dragon Country this time?"
"Let's get the unpleasant things out of the way first. Aqionghan disregards human rights, and the United Nations forces are here to eradicate cholera. We absolutely will not withdraw our troops because of your words."
Jing Mingqiu waved his hand dismissively. "Alright, stop flattering yourselves. Aren't you just coveting Aqionghan's resources and invading? Why find so many high-sounding excuses!"
"We are not, we are for freedom's glo—"
Before William Ster could even finish his explanation, Jing Mingqiu cut him off forcefully. "Don't worry, we're not asking you to retreat. The Dragon Country is different from you; we don't interfere in the internal affairs of other countries."
Hearing Jing Mingqiu say this, William Ster breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. Since you're not asking us to retreat, Jing Mingqiu, what is the purpose of your visit this time?"
Jing Mingqiu pulled out a piece of white paper and tossed it over. "How you fight with Aqionghan is your business."
"However, our country has many citizens currently within Aqionghan. To avoid them being accidentally injured in this war, we need time to help them evacuate."
Jing Mingqiu raised three fingers. "Three months. You temporarily halt your offensive, and only after three months can you continue your attack."
"Three months? That's absolutely impossible!" William Ster shouted like a monkey whose tail had been stepped on. "We traveled thousands of miles to come to Aqionghan, only for a few people from the Dragon Country. We cannot attack for three months; I absolutely do not accept this!"
Jing Mingqiu sneered. "Heh heh! Whether you accept it or not isn't solely up to you. You should go ask your superiors. See if they are willing to wait three months or directly confront the Dragon Country."
"You've heard the phrase 'Do not say that the words were not warned' many times. Today, I'll say something different. Tell your current United States President that if you want war, I will fight. The Dragon Country cherishes peace, but we have never feared war!"
With that, Jing Mingqiu strode away, leaving William Ster and his entourage standing there, looking at each other, dumbfounded.
A three-month ceasefire was a huge matter, and William Ster certainly couldn't make the decision. He quickly reported the news to his superiors.
Smith Lumen was merely a figurehead and couldn't make the decision either. He could only consult with Anderson Korryford and others on countermeasures.
"Mr. Anderson, should we fight or wait?"
Anderson Korryford pondered for a moment. "We definitely cannot fight. No one knows what trump cards the Dragon Country is holding. But if we truly wait three months, where will the United States' prestige go?"
Anderson Korryford paused here and asked in return, "William, what is the Dragon Country doing right now?"
"It's unclear. However, according to reports from our spies remaining in the Dragon Country, there are no troop deployment movements in the major military regions. Only a few civilian airlines have been very active recently."
"I estimate that the evacuation of their citizens they mentioned is likely not false. We don't want to fight the Dragon Country, and the Dragon Country may not necessarily want to go to war with us for Aqionghan."
"That's not wrong," Anderson Korryford nodded slightly. "It's been a while since the United Nations forces acted together. Training for a few months before acting might yield better results."
Smith Lumen understood the implication in Anderson Korryford's words and volunteered to take responsibility. "Indeed, it's better to act a little later. Our goal this time is not destruction, but occupation. The more thorough our preparations, the greater our gains."
Anderson Korryford was pleased with Smith Lumen's willingness to take the blame and added with a smile.
"We will proceed as the President has stated. However, three months is still too long."
"How about this, William, go back and tell the Dragon Country that we will give them a maximum of two months. After two months, if the Dragon Country's people have not completely evacuated, don't blame us for the consequences."
"Yes!"
William Ster saluted and ended the video conference.
And so, everyone got the outcome they desired. The United States, under the pretext of humanitarianism, announced that it would give other countries two months to evacuate their citizens before taking action.
Upon receiving this news, Aqionghan's President Hafiz O'Sming was overjoyed. "They've postponed it by a full two months! I thought we'd only get a month at most. Two months is such a long time, enough to complete the relocation of all residents."
"Don't celebrate too soon," Jing Mingqiu poured cold water on him without hesitation. "These Western bandits are most adept at breaking their promises. They say two months, but who knows what schemes they're hatching in their hearts?"
"Their temporary ceasefire is partly due to the pressure from the Dragon Country, but more so because they are not yet ready for a full-scale war. There have been many frictions during their offensive."
Hearing this, Hafiz O'Sming's eyes lit up. "Professor Jing, what if I take advantage of their internal friction and arrange for some troops to launch a surprise attack?"
"Not a good idea," Jing Mingqiu shook his head, putting on an expression of disappointment in his protégé. "The gap in weaponry between you and the United Nations forces is far greater than you imagine. Your handful of broken guns can't even overcome their automated counter-attack systems."
"You can use guerrilla tactics to ambush some isolated UN forces, but that will only anger them and be of little use. It's better to focus your efforts and seize this long-awaited peace to train properly."
"I've already arranged for the necessary weapons for training to be transported by special aircraft. The regular army will be handled by Zhang Long and the others. Mr. President, gather Aqionghan's most elite soldiers, and I will train them personally!"
"Ah! Professor Jing, you're going to train them personally! I remember you're just an ordinary college student who hasn't undergone professional military training?" Hafiz O'Sming's eyes widened in disbelief.
Jing Mingqiu's lips curved into a subtle smile. "Mr. President, your intelligence is outdated. Who says I haven't undergone professional military training?"