Chapter 668: Chaos
Translator: Timothy_ Editor: GlobeGlotter
Under the massive explosion, glaciers shattered, and countless pieces broke off the island, drifting away. Ye Mo fell onto a large glacier, a mixture of earth and ice, which also began to drift.
The explosion immediately alerted the surveillance fleets, which closed in on the island to investigate. A small boat detached from the fleet, quickly becoming indistinguishable among the drifting glaciers.
Huang Mei hadn't expected such an easy escape. The explosion diverted everyone's attention, and the glacier field provided excellent cover.
“What? The island exploded, and the massive glacier fragmented?” Han Zaixin was speechless upon hearing the news. If the island exploded, how could Zhang Jue and Li Hu still be alive?
“Ye Mo, you don’t need to go anymore,” Han Zaixin murmured, attempting to call Ye Mo, but the call failed. He sighed, hanging up. Ye Mo’s phone being unreachable was unsurprising; he rarely used it.
On an island near the Bailing Sea lay Northern Sand’s true base. Ye Mo’s guess was correct.
In the central meeting room, a man yelled, “The island exploded, yet there’s no communication! Who’s responsible?”
“We used Japanese ships and outside resources. They likely feared detection by nearby countries. Qi Huan was in charge, and he's meticulous. I doubt he erred. And Huang Mei, our observer, maintains a broad perspective; even if Qi Huan made a mistake, she would have noticed,” a sharp voice replied.
“Hold on, countries are constantly communicating; there's no way Qi Huan and his team wouldn't send anything back. Unless they faced a critical emergency. Something must have happened to them,” a hoarse voice interjected.
The first speaker said, “Contact them. I need immediate results after expending so many resources. Get the video recording.”
“Yes!” a voice replied.
“Brother Dongfang, was this explosion Ye Mo’s doing? You suspect him, but I doubt it. I heard he was recently in Antarctica, causing a base to self-destruct. He couldn’t reach the North Pole so quickly. But if not him, then who?” the man asked.
After a long pause, the hoarse voice responded, “I believe it was Ye Mo. He’s enigmatic, likely a Luo Yue leader. His apparent simultaneous presence at both poles suggests a mutant ability. But if he caused the explosion, we'll miss the chance to study his powers.”
“Such a pity,” the middle-aged man sighed.
At the White House, the President convened a meeting upon learning of the explosion. These were America’s darkest hours: Luo Yue’s rise, including their seizure of Jason Giambi Island, and the missing gold reserves. Most critically, their schemes against Luo Yue consistently failed.
The President, though furious, recognized the need for calm. While the island was a topic, the meeting primarily focused on devising a strategy against Luo Yue.
No matter how strong Northern Sand was, it remained merely an organization. The US could handle them. Their true enemy was Luo Yue, not Northern Sand. Even if Northern Sand possessed the terrifying “Space Flower” weapon, the US wouldn’t be alone in facing it.
The President stood, addressing the Senators and Cabinet, “Many believe America remains the world’s strongest military and economic power. I regret to inform you that we are no longer. Our gold reserves are gone. I won’t name the thief, but you can all guess.”
Observing their reactions, the President continued, pleased, “Luo Yue, in just a year, accomplished what took us half a century. They’ve employed every means, threatening the world with nuclear power. While we celebrated our military dominance, they surpassed us technologically and militarily.
They now control Jason Giambi Island. If this continues, our navy will be irrelevant in the Indian Ocean. We may soon be hiding in the Pacific, bluffing our citizens. Then, not only Luo Yue, but Russia and China may surpass us.”
The President sat, sensing his message had resonated. They all knew he favored attacking Luo Yue, but also understood the challenge.
Howard, sharing the President’s frustration, stated, “We do have a way to defeat Luo Yue.”
All eyes turned to him. Howard gathered his thoughts, “Which is more threatening: the Russian navy entering the Southern and Northern straits, or Luo Yue’s rise?”
“Luo Yue’s rise. They’re reckless,” someone answered.
Howard nodded, “Agreed. We avoided using their nukes as a pretext to act against Luo Yue, knowing Russia would oppose it. But now, things are different. Luo Yue seizing Jason Giambi Island signals their interest in the Malacca Strait, vital to Russia’s return to their Northern Vietnamese base. If we support Russia’s return, wouldn’t they side with us?”
Allowing Russia back to their Vietnamese base would be costly, but nothing compared to Luo Yue’s continued power. With Luo Yue gone, Sai Na would return to the US.
Seeing nods of agreement, Howard continued, “We temporarily align with Russia to attack Luo Yue. Luo Yue’s South Pole nuclear detonation violates the Antarctic Treaty. That’s justification enough. As long as Russia doesn’t object, the Union can judge Luo Yue.”
“What if China objects?” someone asked.
Howard smiled, “Unless we admit to secretly aiding the Russian navy’s return, China won’t.”