Chapter 577: Want War or Wealth

Translator: Timothy Editor: GlobeGlotter

Xu Yuehua worried, “The Commonwealth Sea Laws state that a nation’s territorial sea must be no more than 12 nautical miles. Wouldn’t a 200-mile claim give the U.S. a casus belli?”

Ye Mo smiled. “Many countries exceed 200 miles. Luo Yue City’s unique three-sided sea access necessitates expansion. Our primary military strength will be naval. Besides, they’d attack regardless of our territorial claims.”

Ye Mo addressed the assembled group. “Upon Luo Yue Pharmaceuticals’ arrival, we immediately test the nuclear bomb. We must display our power to those threatening Luo Yue City. I decide what happens on my land and in my territorial waters.”

“Yes! I support you, City Lord!” Huang Yinian exclaimed, rising excitedly. Ye Mo’s words resonated.

Luo Yue lacked its own aircraft, tank, or gun production lines. Its first production line built carrier ships—nuclear-powered carriers designed by Ye Xing in Northern Sand.

“We also have cutting-edge air defense, electronic warfare, and positioning systems,” Ye Xing stated with satisfaction. “They can come anytime.”

Ye Mo interrupted. “While we’ve progressed, our overall military power is far inferior to the U.S. We can’t match them yet, but we need to pose a credible threat. Conflict is not advisable—not yet. We lack the necessary strength.”

Xu Yuehua nodded. “We can only compare our strongest asset with a superficial portion of their power. Who knows what hidden cards they hold? I agree with the City Lord. We're no match for the U.S., especially with their allies. A war would see most parties aiding them.”

“We’ll fight eventually, but the circumstances are unclear. Several medical factories are profitable, but war will be enormously costly. Increasing tactical assets remains crucial,” Ye Mo said. He knew time was short. A few more years, and the U.S. would be a minor obstacle.

Zang Jiayan added, “We’ve stockpiled significant food reserves, and numerous domestic and foreign factories are operational. Agricultural output hasn’t yet reached scale, however.”

Ye Mo waved his hand. “Food is a vital tactical asset—we must ensure plentiful supplies. Self-sufficiency is unrealistic. War will consume resources and manpower. We must devise ways to profit from it.”

“Profit from war? Third parties usually profit from others’ wars. How do we profit from our own?” Ye Zifeng questioned.

Ye Mo smiled. “Our electronic warfare system is unmatched. We can sell it. Modern warfare emphasizes long-range precision strikes. Countries reliant on electronic warfare would face a nightmare against strong interference and GPS jamming.

Our small population is a disadvantage, but numbers are less critical in modern warfare. We can disrupt enemy attacks and accurately locate their units. If our systems are as effective as Ye Xing claims, we’ll generate revenue.”

Ye Xing rose, emphasizing his point. “Martial Brother, you can doubt my romantic success, but not my engineering skills! Once we have an aircraft production line, I will build the world’s strongest electronic warfare system!”

Everyone grasped Ye Mo’s plan: demonstrate the system's capabilities during the war and sell it to other countries. If it could disrupt U.S. missiles, it would become famous.

Ye Xing quickly added, “It's not mobile. It’s stationary in Luo Yue. While it can neutralize weapons within 1 kilometer and lock onto targets, it consumes vast amounts of energy—”

“You used the extreme energy stone?” Ye Mo immediately understood.

Ye Xing grimaced. “I had no choice. Without it, I couldn’t sleep. The U.S. is too powerful for two years of development. With sufficient missiles, however, we can shoot down their attacks. Currently, our missiles are Russian imports, even our ICBMs are modified imports. We’re still building our own missile production line.”

Ye Mo understood. The stones were precious, but they couldn't be unused. They seemed more valuable than spirit stones. He sighed, realizing he would need to return to Northern Sand for the remaining four.

“So, we can’t sell the system?” Ye Mo was disappointed.

“We can! We modify it, changing the power source to fuel. The range would drastically decrease, but we could mount it on aircraft,” Ye Xing smiled.

“Good. We'll sell your modified aircraft design,” Ye Mo said. That would be profitable.

“Three issues: it needs our engine—currently the world’s best—though I can simplify it. Second, we lack an aircraft production line. Third, it won’t take long for them to reverse-engineer it,” Ye Xing noted.

Ye Mo smiled. “I’m not worried. Nobody can reverse-engineer our pill-making seals. Similarly, I’ll inscribe a sealing formation on the system’s core components. Trying to access it will destroy it.

So, let’s do it. CEO Zang, assist Ye Xing in setting up an aircraft production line. Import and modify—it’ll save time.”

“Big Brother, should potential buyers acknowledge Luo Yue’s independence first?” Ye Zifeng asked.

Ye Mo nodded. He wasn’t afraid of the U.S., but international recognition was vital for survival. Without allies, Luo Yue’s strength wouldn’t guarantee a comfortable existence.

…

The U.S. President convened a cabinet meeting—their second regarding Luo Yue.

“Luo Yue seized Sai Na, attracting a global population. They’re mass-purchasing weapons. If they weren’t so distant, their Russian missiles would be at our doorstep. I regret Senator Harry’s suggestion to let them develop,” the naval commander stated.

Luo Yue was rapidly expanding its naval power, and any conflict would begin at sea.