Munitions Empire

"Look at the trouble you’ve gotten me into," Tang Mo said, feigning a look of utter distress as he saw Nangong Hong.

Nangong Hong was also a landlubber; he couldn’t even swim. His complexion, upon returning to Brunas from Hotwind Port, was no better than that of soldiers who had just disembarked on Dongwan Island.

Struggling to maintain the image of a suave gentleman, Nangong Hong swallowed his saliva in secret and squeezed out a smile to respond, "To accomplish great things, one naturally must endure some hardships, right? Master."

Having pledged his allegiance to Tang Mo, it was only natural that he needed an address for him. After a bit of inquiry, he chose one that, to his ears, sounded somewhat embarrassing for Tang Mo.

"I saw you expanding your troops at Hotwind Port; it looks like you’ve already started preparing plans," Nangong Hong said, still feeling the subtle sway of the ship even while sitting on a sofa.

This was a lingering effect of spending a long time at sea; even on solid ground, he still felt the sway, dizziness, nausea...

He had just disembarked from the ship and hadn’t even had time to bathe. He reeked of the sea, a stench compounded by the engine oil and sweat stains from the freight liner.

But, in spirit, Nangong Hong was excited. He had seen the changes he wanted to see at Hotwind Port.

In Brunas, he had witnessed the strength of the Great Tang Group, and at Hotwind Port, he validated the impact of the strategies he had offered on the entire Great Tang Group.

There, he saw that the Great Tang Group was recruiting soldiers, transporting troops from ship to ship to other locations.

This indicated that the Great Tang Group was already preparing for a new war, a war concerning the expansion westward that he had incited with his counsel.

"You may need several months to prepare and then spend millions of Gold Coins to find a breakthrough along the West Coast, to establish your own beachhead right at the doorstep of Zheng Country," he said excitedly, glancing at the map hanging in Tang Mo’s office.

"So, in your opinion, where should I take as a forward base to attack Zheng Country?" Tang Mo took out a cigarette case from his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and put it in his mouth.

Yulin bowed, offered a lighter, and with a click, sparked a flame. Tang Mo leaned in, took a deep breath, and nonchalantly exhaled a cloud of smoke: "Huh."

Coughing at the acrid tobacco smell, Nangong Hong was somewhat uncomfortable, but he had no authority to question Tang Mo’s smoking, so he just had to endure it.

After getting used to the smell, he answered Tang Mo’s question, "If it were up to me, Dongwan Island would be the best choice! First, it’s large enough, and second, Zheng Country’s hold on it is actually not solid. Moreover, it has two ports, Dongwan City and Fengshun City, convenient for transporting troops."

This was an issue he had thought about for many years, having carefully studied the coastal areas of Zheng Country. He believed that Dongwan Island, being not small and with a considerable population, was the most valuable target.

Tang Mo broke into a smile and announced news that disappointed Nangong Hong, "You have quite the imagination, but Dongwan Island was occupied by Shireck Country several months ago. Zheng Country was severely defeated in the war against Shireck Country and had to give up control of Dongwan Island."

Indeed, Nangong Hong was taken aback by this news, and immediately became uneasy, "Shireck Country occupied Dongwan Island? That makes things difficult. If Shireck Country controls Dongwan Island, then it’s really not a good choice for us."

He had been unaware of the change of hands on Dongwan Island on his way to Brunas. For Nangong Hong, conflicts between Shireck Country and Zheng Country were not out of the ordinary.

But he had never imagined that Zheng Country would collapse to such an extent, even losing the key strategic region of Dongwan Island!

"Why not?" Tang Mo, intent on testing him, continued to inquire with a smile.

"Shireck Country is different from Zheng Country. Zheng Country is corrupt and decadent, whereas Shireck Country has always been close to the Shireck Consortium and is on the rise. Waging a distant war against Shireck Country on Dongwan Island is not wise," Nangong Hong said, filled with dismay in his voice.

"Continue," Tang Mo said, taking another drag of his cigarette, still smiling. Yulin struggled to contain her laughter due to Tang Mo’s mischief, holding it back with great difficulty.

Nangong Hong, now indifferent to Yulin’s beauty, contemplated alternative plans that all seemed somewhat lacking, "If Shireck Country has preemptively occupied Dongwan Island, we’ll have to consider choosing a slightly smaller island further to the south. However, those islands are too small to amass troops on a large scale..."

How could he not be depressed and upset? It was as if Zhuge Liang in Shu had learned that Guan Yu had lost Jingzhou; his feelings were self-evident.

Just when Nangong Hong thought his endeavors would collapse before achieving success, Tang Mo decided to stop tormenting Nangong Hong’s nerves. He flicked the ash from his cigarette and said, "Alright, I won’t joke with you anymore. In fact, while you were at Hotwind Port, I had already dispatched the troops to capture Dongwan Island to the west."

"What? You’ve already gone to war with Shireck Country?" Who knew, having heard this news, Nangong Hong was even more shocked.

According to Nangong Hong’s thinking, going to war with the Shireck Empire was entirely different from going to war with Zheng Country, which was evidently an easier task to manage.

Challenging the Shireck Empire on the seas still required caution, a lesson he had learned through many years of experience. Thus, when he heard that Tang Mo had already declared war on the Shireck Empire, he became even more anxious.

Tang Mo nodded, "Yes!"

He then continued to explain, "The conclusion reached by my Staff Department and your plan are similar, taking priority in seizing Dongwan Island, a high-value strategic objective, is key to whether the subsequent battle plans can succeed. So, we decisively deployed our troops and took control of the place."

"Hiss... So, are you prepared to engage in a prolonged naval battle against a maritime powerhouse like the Shireck Empire?" Knowing that the situation was irreversible, Nangong Hong could only muster the courage to ask.

In fact, he had already begun to think about how to help the Great Tang Group gracefully end this war while preserving the possibility to continue its expansion and quest for supremacy.

Instead of teasing Nangong Hong any further, Tang Mo seriously revealed both the process and outcome, "A month ago, we defeated 30,000 Shireck troops on Dongwan Island, dealing a heavy blow to the Shireck Navy’s fleet. The Shireck Empire surrendered more than twenty days ago."

"What?" Nangong Hong couldn’t believe his ears and felt momentarily lost in a daze.

He had been running back and forth between Hotwind Port and Brunas these days, naturally unaware of the Allied Forces’ declaration of war against the Shireck Empire.

Moreover, he was clueless that the Great Tang Group had already thoroughly suppressed the Shireck Empire and was completely ignorant of the Great Tang Group having already reaped the war’s dividends.

"Now, Dongwan Island is ours, and I’m in the process of transporting more military forces there. So... now you can talk, if we have taken Dongwan Island, what should we do next?" Tang Mo, sunk into the sofa with a cigarette between his fingers, asked.

"Originally... I had planned to take five years to capture Dongwan Island and then spend another ten years to turn it into an impregnable stronghold. But you, in less than two months, have achieved this strategic goal... I... I don’t even know what to say anymore." Still engulfed in chaos, Nangong Hong was feeling an unreal bliss, the happiness had come too swiftly.

It was a bit like... like Zhuge Liang letting Liu Bei take Jingzhou, and then Liu Bei immediately capturing Chang’an, slightly fantastical.

After a brief moment of thought, a joyous Nangong Hong adjusted his emotions, "Since you’ve already captured Dongwan Island, making it a forward support point is now of utmost importance."

"We need to prevent the Shireck Empire from moving southward. If the Shireck Empire continues to harass Zheng Country, it will cause the devastation of its civilian life, which is very unfavorable for our subsequent development," he spoke confidently, which Tang Mo found to be very satisfying. "Additionally... If...

I mean, it might be a bit presumptuous, but if possible, we should attempt to take Zheng Country as soon as we can."

"Why?" Tang Mo probed Nangong Hong.

Not shying away from the challenge, Nangong Hong was in his element, "The quicker we capture Zheng Country, the more likely we are to fully harness its national strength. Although the ruling class of Zheng Country is utterly corrupt, Zheng Country still has potential."

"It has a large population that, despite being oppressed, is hardworking and resilient. Once they experience the advancements of the Great Tang Group, they will become the best support on your path to world domination!" His enthusiasm grew as he spoke, "Furthermore, Zheng Country shares a border with the Dahua Empire, which can help you extend your influence even further!"

"Third, swiftly capturing Zheng Country will prevent the southern Chu Country and northern Qi Country from getting involved. This is critical to ensure we secure an intact Zheng Country." Holding up three fingers, Nangong Hong even got a little excited, "Originally, my plan was that in ten years, we could attack Zheng Country, and securing one-third of its territory would count as a success."

His ten-year strategic plan had almost been realized by the Great Tang Group in just two short months! And transforming Dongwan Island into a modern forward base was no difficult task for Tang Mo.

So, after considering his words carefully, he set a higher goal for Tang Mo, "Now... perhaps I can be a bit greedier. With the combat strength of your battle-hardened troops, we definitely have the opportunity to capture half of Zheng Country!"

"Be more confident! I plan... to take the whole of Zheng Country!" Tang Mo glanced at Nangong Hong as he spoke.

"Hmm?" Nangong Hong was taken aback.

"Similar to what I had in mind! I will find a way to capture the entirety of Zheng Country at the fastest speed," Tang Mo emphasized once more.

"Hmm?" Nangong Hong felt he might not have made himself clear...

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Make-up post, I still owe everyone 6 posts =.=!

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