Chapter 159: The melancholy Toukou Heijou!
Hachimantai Island Naval Base.
In the vast command hall, the highest commander of the Southern Expedition Fleet, Toukou Heijou, looked at the military strength report of Jade Island before him, and couldn't help but frown, falling into a long contemplation.
This investigation report was obtained by spies he dispatched deep into Jade Island, through meticulous investigation and detailed intelligence gathering.
However, looking at the information on this report, he was shocked to an unparalleled degree.
To be honest, since the first day he joined the military, he has witnessed the rapid expansion of Japan's naval power. Over these decades, Japan has rapidly grown from a small country to one of the world's foremost powerful nations, thanks entirely to the swift rise of technological power.
It was precisely due to the most advanced technology that Japan's military industry achieved great success, thereby creating the most advanced warships of today.
This is the reason why Japan can navigate the Pacific Ocean unimpeded.
If it weren't for the existence of the United States, their Great Japan Empire would have long since conquered the entire Pacific Ocean.
Of course, even now, Toukou Heijou does not regard the United States too highly. In his view, with Japan's gradual expansion, sooner or later, the entire Pacific will become Japan's territory!
This goal has always been the dream of their entire fleet, and it is the objective for which they strive.
Behind this goal, supporting their belief, is Japan's most powerful naval fleet!
In Toukou Heijou's view, the only fleet in the world that can compare with theirs is the fleet of the United States.
As for other countries, they have never been taken seriously!
However, all of this.
After just seeing the military strength report of Jade Island, Toukou Heijou suddenly fell silent!
This place, once regarded by him as a mere speck, an easy target, now possesses power that has reached a terrifying degree!
The rapid development of technology, along with the swift economic surge, has almost overnight unleashed unimaginable strength from this tiny place. The development speed of military power is rolling forward in an explosive geometric progression.
Just looking at the strength currently displayed on paper is enough to command awe.
Even more frightening is Jade Island's shipbuilding speed!
According to the information shown, although the current number of vessels possessed by Jade Island is maintained at the level of a medium-sized country, its reserve of parts and supporting production facilities allows it to build a fleet several times the current number within just a month!
This is truly terrifying!
Such shipbuilding speed, even if all of Japan were united, would still pale in comparison.
It was not until now that Toukou Heijou truly realized that he had somewhat underestimated Jade Island all along.
No!
To be precise, it's the ambitious young Island Master who's been hiding his capabilities, quietly developing Jade Island's strong production capacity, yet never showing it.
Until the moment of need, that is when its formidable energy would unleash, causing the opponent to suffer devastating blows!
At this moment, the image of the Korean fleet being turned to ashes in a flash by Jade Island's warships suddenly surfaced in Toukou Heijou's mind!
The fate of the Korean fleet is evidence enough, isn't it?
The power possessed by this small Jade Island is truly terrifying!
Calming the shock in his heart, more anxiety surged in Toukou Heijou's heart once again.
In recent days, he went to the Tokyo Realm to hold several secret meetings with the Prime Minister and a few key Congress members.
However, there is a huge divide in Congress regarding how to respond to this island-building event at Jade Island.
Some prominent hawkish figures believe that, considering the current opposition from the public, they should quickly launch military action against Jade Island, punishing its violation of Japan's sphere of influence.
According to their longstanding strategic planning, the southern territorial waters and seas near Hua Country should be regarded as Japan's backyard, considered untouchable.
In such places, there should be absolutely no crises.
Therefore, faced with Jade Island's provocative actions, they certainly would not sit by idly.
But it's worth noting that due to the strong power Jade Island has exhibited recently, some dove factions feel deeply intimidated.
It can be said that in recent years, Jade Island has completely dominated the international community, attracting global attention. In the field of technology,
Jade Island has demonstrated strength far surpassing the current technological level.
This phenomenon even tends to expand further.
In such a backdrop, these dove factions are naturally unwilling to become enemies with Jade Island because shortly before, the Samsung Empire, which was still competing with Jade Island, had already collapsed and became history in an instant!
With such precedents, it's understandable that these dove faction members are even more reluctant to fight against it; they more often suggest working to reach a compromise with Jade Island and achieve reconciliation.
By doing so, not only can it draw closer relations with Jade Island, but it can also stabilize the currently unstable situation in East Asia.
This round of parliamentary discussions, due to the significant disagreements between the hawks and the doves, ended without any results.
Ultimately, following the Prime Minister's suggestion, Toukou Heijou, as a military representative, was tasked with first uncovering Jade Island's military strength and producing a comparative analysis report. Then, Congress would discuss it and eventually come up with a specific plan on how to respond to Jade Island.
However, at this moment.
Looking at the strength comparison report in his hand, a sense of melancholy arose in Toukou Heijou's heart.
Once upon a time, such a powerful Japan Empire has fallen to the level of being on par with a small island!
According to the conclusions drawn in the report, given Jade Island's strong naval firepower, advanced hardware facilities, and extraordinarily fast production capacity, the simulated battle results show that once war breaks out, Japan's odds of victory are only fifty percent!
In other words, both sides have a chance of winning, but the probability of mutual destruction is highest!
It can be said that this is an extremely difficult result to accept!
As the person who led Japan's fleet to its current glory, Toukou Heijou felt even more uncomfortable!
He really couldn't imagine that such a small island could, in just two years, transform into a nation with such enormous military and technological strength!
To the extent that it has reached a level that Japan cannot even subdue!
The skies over East Asia, they fear, are truly about to change!