The wind and rain over the Fierce Dragon Kingdom lasted over half a month.
As the three super typhoons drew nearer and nearer to the Fierce Dragon Continent, their strength gradually weakened.
When they finally made landfall, all had dropped to the level of strong typhoons.
But it was not as though the three typhoons brought no damage.
Most low-lying areas of the Fierce Dragon Continent were badly hit.
The direct property losses were an astronomical figure.
And the biggest effect of all was that this year the Fierce Dragon Kingdom's industrial output would be cut by a full month's production,
a drop of nearly 10%.
Besides that, over a thousand people died in this disaster, and over a million were affected.
Fortunately,
the emergency supplies the Fierce Dragon Kingdom kept in reserve in ordinary times were enough.
When the typhoons first appeared, another wave of supplies had been allocated urgently as well.
So there was no need to worry about running short of daily necessities or medicine.
"At present our Fierce Dragon Kingdom is in the stage of full post-disaster reconstruction, striving to get back to work and production as early as possible. According to our plan, within half a month at most we can recover to the highest pre-disaster level of industry. Besides that, there's the cleanup of the cities. All first-tier cities can guarantee that their main urban areas are restored as they were within three days, with every port back in operation. Second-tier cities within five days; the remaining cities, townships and neighborhoods can finish all cleanup within half a month," Secretary Officer Barbara reported on this disaster, standing before Zhao Chen.
"Nearly a thousand people lost their lives,"[1] Zhao Chen sighed inwardly.
It had to be said, the threat of natural disasters was still very great.
And this was with their being prepared and having contingency plans.
Had they been wholly unprepared, the dead and injured would certainly have been dozens of times more!
"What's the situation on the Doyle Empire's side now? Has any word come back?" Zhao Chen asked.
"Our intelligence people have sent back some information. Many of the Doyle Empire's key cities and strategic sites were hit by our space nukes. The Doyle Empire's leadership is almost paralyzed, and there's great chaos among the people too. Recovering will take at least over half a year. And the fleet we prepared earlier is expected to land on the Eastern Continent within a week. We've specially assigned a carrier battle group as escort. The number of soldiers delivered this time is around five hundred thousand. A hundred thousand of them are from our Fierce Dragon Kingdom's army, and the other four hundred thousand from the Northern Continent. The second batch is being prepared too. The second batch is all from the Western Continent, expected to be five hundred thousand. If the first batch goes smoothly, the second batch can land on the Eastern Continent in a month to a month and a half. An army a million strong is enough to gain a firm foothold on the Eastern Continent, then attack bit by bit as the situation allows, nibbling away the Doyle Empire's territory."
Zhao Chen nodded.
Strike the enemy while he is sick: Zhao Chen knew that principle very well.
"And the Middle-Sea Archipelago? Our last airlift of supplies was half a month ago. Half a month with no resupply: how are the four carrier battle groups there?" Zhao Chen was a little worried.
Secretary Officer Barbara called up another file.
"Following the plan we drew up before: though in this half month we couldn't fly supplies straight over from our Fierce Dragon Kingdom by air, we had our backup plan. The merchant fleet carrying the third shipment of equipment to the Nancy Empire was to carry part of the resources and supplies and go on to the Middle-Sea Archipelago under the escort of two Fierce Dragon carrier battle groups. Those supplies will make up this half month's shortfall. Though we haven't had the latest news from the Middle-Sea Archipelago, there shouldn't be any big problem. A batch of transports we prepared is already ready to take off. Because we don't know the situation over there, this batch has only ten transports, plus three tankers. Just in case: if these transports have nowhere to land, they'll still have fuel to get back," Secretary Officer Barbara said.
Zhao Chen looked in the direction of the Middle-Sea Archipelago; in truth he was still somewhat worried about the Middle-Sea Archipelago.
But now everything could only be left to develop as it would.
"And the Southern Continent? The news of the Eastern Continent should have spread on the Southern Continent by now, surely," Zhao Chen asked about the situation on the Southern Continent.
"The news that the Eastern Continent was attacked by a mysterious weapon has reached the Southern Continent. On the Southern Continent, the Southern Alliance's morale has been badly shaken, and it has lost battle after battle against the Nancy Empire on the front lines. At present the territory they control has almost gone back to the area they actually held before. But King Biller, one of the Doyle Empire's Three Kings, being on the Southern Continent, didn't die in this attack. So the Southern Alliance hasn't yet openly declared a break with the Doyle Empire."
Having heard these reports,
Zhao Chen let out a breath: "At home, our post-disaster reconstruction can't stop. At the same time, action abroad has to begin as well. In the shortest time, settle the Doyle Empire and unify the whole planet, so we can put all our energy into future technological development as soon as possible."
"Yes."
The Fierce Dragon Kingdom's First Air Force Airfield.
Ten heavy transports stood ready on the runway, cleared clean, ready to take off at any moment.
"Remember: once you reach the Middle-Sea Archipelago, find a way to send word back right away. If all goes well, we'll send off the transports after you here!"
"Understood."
The heavy transports' pilots started their planes, rolled slowly along the runway, sped up and took off,
heading for the Middle-Sea Archipelago under a cloudless blue sky.
Before the three-typhoon disaster, they had flown this route every day.
So even after so long,
they had long since known this route by heart.
As they were nearly flying into the waters of the Middle-Sea Archipelago,
one heavy transport of the flight said over the radio channel, "You keep flying at your present altitude. I'll fly down and look at the situation below."
"Yes."
This heavy transport began to lose altitude, broke through the clouds, and the sea below came into view.
At first they could see the blue sea, stretching endlessly with nothing on it.
But very soon they saw wreckage of warships drifting on the sea.
There was even a warship that had run onto a reef, sitting on the rocks, left to the merciless pounding of the waves.
There were marks of attack on the warship's hull.
The pilot glanced at this warship; it was not a Fierce Dragon warship.
Flying on,
they could see more and more wreckage of warships.
Some were only fragments; some were comparatively whole.
But strangely,
as they were about to reach the Middle-Sea Archipelago,
they had not seen a single organized fleet of the Doyle Empire's navy.
What was going on?
The crew grew faintly worried.
At this point they saw the islands.
These were the outermost islands of the Middle-Sea Archipelago.
"That's Island No. 9, the biggest of the outer islands. There's a runway on it too. But because it's very near the battlefield, takeoffs and landings depend on conditions on the battlefield," the observer said.
"Raise them on the radio; contact the garrison there," the pilot said.
"Yes!"
"This is transport Y018 of the Fierce Dragon transport flight. We're under orders to deliver supplies. If you receive, please respond!"
The first call got no answer.
"This is transport Y018 of the Fierce Dragon transport flight. We're under orders to deliver supplies. If you receive, please respond!"
The second call still got no answer.
The radioman looked at the captain.
If they kept going,
at their present altitude, if what was on that island was not the Fierce Dragon Kingdom's troops but the Doyle Empire's garrison,
they might enter the range of the other side's antiaircraft guns, and their transport would be in danger.
"Keep calling," the captain said in a deep voice,
without changing course or climbing.
"This is transport Y018 of the Fierce Dragon transport flight. We're under orders to deliver supplies. If you receive, please respond!"
Three or five seconds after the third call:
"This is the Fierce Dragon Middle-Sea Archipelago Island No. 9 garrison. Our runway here hasn't been repaired yet. Please go to the runway at the Island No. 13 airfield."
Hearing that somewhat broken voice on the radio
set the crew cheering and leaping at once.
"Great! We've finally reached you. How have things been for you all this time?" the radioman could not help asking.
"Not long ago the Doyle Empire's navy launched a final round of attacks. They still didn't take our positions in the Middle-Sea Archipelago. Perhaps because their logistics and supply ran short, they pulled out of the encirclement and withdrew to the other side of the Middle-Sea Archipelago. Our supplies are running critically low, but we can still hold out another week," the other side answered.
"Great!" Hearing this news, the crew high-fived and cheered all the more.
"Then shall we send word from here back home now?" the radioman said somewhat eagerly.
"No hurry yet. Wait until we've landed," the captain said, being rather cautious.
After requesting permission to land,
this heavy transport, after nearly a month,[2] touched down once more on a runway in these islands.
"Well, if it isn't Old Zhang. Long time no see."
A member of the ground crew, seeing the captain's face, at once greeted him warmly.
Seeing this familiar face, the captain at last let go of the worry hanging in his heart.
"Good to see you're still alive, you old so-and-so," the captain joked.
"How are things on our continent? Before, we heard three super typhoons had swept over our continent. After that we lost all word. I only bought my house last year, and I haven't paid off the mortgage yet," this ground-crew man could not help saying.
"Nothing serious. Just some standing water in the low-lying places, but post-disaster reconstruction is already under way now. Your mortgage can still be saved," the captain joked.
The captain stepped down from the plane
and embraced this old friend he had met a few times.
"It's good to be alive."
"It's good to be alive."
The two said the same thing at the same moment without meaning to.
After that he learned the situation in the Middle-Sea Archipelago in detail.
In this month, the Middle-Sea Archipelago had indeed had several dangerous moments along the way.
Because supply was cut off, their firepower had been greatly reduced, and even the takeoff and landing rate of the land-based fighters had dropped sharply.
The enemy, seeing this, had stepped up the frequency of its attacks.
Fortunately, partway through, two upgraded and refitted Fierce Dragon carrier battle groups had reached the Middle-Sea Archipelago with the merchant fleet,
not only giving the enemy a sound thrashing, but bringing them many supplies they urgently lacked as well.
It was also after this resupply
that the situation in the Middle-Sea Archipelago became clear.
The Doyle Empire's navy made a few more attacks, and seeing they had no effect,
chose to give up and withdrew to the other side of the Middle-Sea Archipelago.
Very soon,
long-range communication between the Fierce Dragon Kingdom and the Middle-Sea Archipelago was reestablished.
"This is our newest communications equipment. It ensures clear communication between the Middle-Sea Archipelago and the Fierce Dragon Kingdom; there's no more need to rely on aircraft in the air to relay it," a staff member reported to Marshal Medusa.
Then Marshal Medusa heard Zhao Chen's voice.
"Your Majesty." Marshal Medusa stood up straight.
"How are things? Are you all right?" Zhao Chen asked with concern.
Marshal Medusa reported on this month's fighting.
Six carrier battle groups in all, counting everything, with a total loss rate of 30%.
Among the losses were one aircraft carrier and two battleships.
The rest were mostly destroyers and escorts.
As for loss of life, it was not so bad; many warships, when things looked bad, had kept to the rules and abandoned ship in an emergency.
So the casualties were not very great.
Having heard all of this report,
Zhao Chen too could set his mind at rest.
"Next, you'll rest and refit where you are for half a month. On our side we'll restore your aerial supply line, and there'll be cargo ships carrying the strategic supplies you need too. After half a month, two more carrier battle groups will reach the waters of the Middle-Sea Archipelago. Once they've joined you, your task is to take complete control of the Middle-Sea Archipelago within three months, and to wipe out as much of the Doyle Empire navy's effective strength here as possible, building our sea springboard to the Doyle Empire."
Hearing this demand from the Fierce Dragon Emperor,
Marshal Medusa knew that the expedition against the Doyle Empire was already on the schedule.
This move of theirs was very important.
Setting out from the Fierce Dragon Kingdom and going straight through the Middle-Sea Archipelago to the Doyle Empire would save a great deal of time,
saving at least a third of the time even compared with going by the Northern Continent and then to the Eastern Continent.
And the sea route was safer.
"Rest assured, Your Majesty. We guarantee we'll complete the task you've asked of us!" Marshal Medusa, though a hard battle had only just ended and she was being assigned the next fighting, had no complaint whatsoever.
"Mm. If you need anything, tell us. The Doyle Empire has now reached its final stage; we can't rule out their being driven to desperate measures. So when you fight, keep your own safety in mind. You must not fight the enemy one for one. That would only put us at a loss," Zhao Chen reminded her.
What Zhao Chen feared was that at the very last, the Doyle Empire would bite off another piece of his Fierce Dragon Kingdom's flesh.
That would never be worth it.