The eyes of another elderly figure with a robust appearance flashed with brilliance under the stage...

"As long as the President gives the order, my 26,000 strong naval force across four major naval districts can go to battle at any time," stated Commander-in-Chief Kuno, his gaze flashing with precision.

"General Kuno, remain calm. I'd like to ask everyone here, do you want to drive the Huaxia people back to their homeland?" queried Nuonuo Jiya.

"What plan does the President have?" some political figures asked.

"Hehe, I want to expel the Huaxia people from the Nansha Islands. Our Philippines is surrounded by the sea on all sides. If we cannot expel Huaxia and the Yue Kingdom, then more countries will want to occupy the Nansha Islands in the future. The Nansha Islands are rich in resources and can station troops to prevent foreign nations from directly targeting our capital."

"Is the President implying he wishes to expel those countries from the Nansha Islands?"

"Yes, with the support of our United States allies, it is quite simple to expel Yue Kingdom. Of course, the nearby islands of Yue Kingdom can be seized gradually, but the islands occupied by Huaxia cannot wait any longer. Now that Huaxia's artificial island on Chi Guo Reef is complete, we can strongly occupy it. As for the rationale, it is simply because Chi Guo Reef is less than 200 nautical miles from our Shuanghuang Sandbar, thus the territorial rights belong to us."

"Huaxia will definitely protest."

"Protests are sure to happen, but what if our military acts against Huaxia fishermen? Would Huaxia dare to wage war? Let's not forget the true significance of having the support of our United States allies," Nuonuo Jiya smiled as he said.

"If we seize Huaxia's Chi Guo Reef, will other islands simply watch?"

"No, they definitely won't just watch. In fact, our real target isn't Chi Guo Reef, but Taiping Island." Nuonuo Jiya approvingly glanced at the speaker, then said, "Taiping Island is a crucial island for Huaxia in the Nansha Islands. If we capture this island, Huaxia's other islands in the Nansha Islands will be on thin ice, and over time, I believe Huaxia will abandon the islands and leave," Nuonuo Jiya laughed.

One must say that the idea of the Philippines is quite naive, as if the Celestial Kingdom has no people, yet they forget the strength of the Celestial Kingdom's citizens. However, with the support of the United States, the Philippines is like grasshoppers in a hot pan, unable to remain still.

If they stir trouble, and Huaxia does not retaliate, they can gain some territory. But if Huaxia retaliates, the small Philippines would be like a leaf on the ocean, always at risk of being overwhelmed.

But can Huaxia retaliate? If they do, the United States would stand up to criticize, and the Southeast Asian countries allied with the Philippines might reassess Huaxia.

"Has the President considered the consequences of such actions?"

"The consequence is that Huaxia endures the pain of loss, of course! Unless Huaxia possesses naval vessels more advanced than the twenty warships given to us by our US allies, they might resist for a while, but without reinforcements from Huaxia's headquarters, their navy on each major island wouldn't withstand even our little finger."

"Mr. President, do you believe Huaxia's headquarters will definitely not deploy forces?"

The people asking these questions had likely communicated with the Philippine President beforehand. If they were speaking candidly, they would say that if Huaxia resolutely deploys troops, the Philippine President would indeed say nothing more, knowing that even with US backing, Huaxia would certainly aim to destroy them, leaving them with only one outcome, which is annihilation.

Therefore, to stabilize the citizens, he must make things clear to those questioning officials to prevent any fearful cabinet officials from blocking his decisions.

"It's certain, let's not forget we are also part of the United Nations, and the Nansha Islands are the closest to us in the Philippines," Nuonuo Jiya smiled as he said.

"If Huaxia's headquarters does not dispatch troops, how will we handle Huaxia's military personnel on the Nansha Islands?"

"That will depend on General Kuno's preference, of course! I, for one, love peace."

"When does the President plan to reclaim our islands?"

"Heh heh, turn small issues into big ones, and when things become uncontrollable, we must adopt a firm stance. I hope everyone will support my decision," Nuonuo Jiya said with a slightly cold tone as he looked at the other officials.

"Of course! The President's choice is very correct, I support you," said one official, who had a closer relationship with the President.

The others remained silent, neither supporting nor opposing.

Essentially, they implied that Nuonuo Jiya could handle this matter entirely. If it failed, he would surely step down, but if successful, he would at most gain the admiration of the Philippine people.

Such admiration they neither desired nor needed; their primary concern was maintaining their positions, especially since they were nearing the age of retirement.

"Mr. Harold, what do you think of this matter?" Nuonuo Jiya asked another national official, who had been groomed by the previous generation of the Philippine presidency before stepping down, only to have his position taken away. Now by asking, he hoped to pull someone into standing on the same line with him.

"Trust the President's decision, I believe your choice is a wise one." Harold nodded with a smile. He had long since resigned himself to not being able to step up, anticipating seeing when Nuonuo Jiya would step down, as he was still young with perhaps another opportunity to control the Philippines.

"Haha! Since everyone trusts me, General Kuno," Nuonuo Jiya called out to General Kuno as he looked at him.

"Mr. President."

"I entrust the next steps to you." Nuonuo Jiya said, looking at Kuno.

"Rest assured, Mr. President, I, Kuno, will surely reclaim all occupied islands from Huaxia." Kuno said with a stern demeanor.

"Good! Good luck to the General."

"Best wishes for the General's victory."

"May the General drive Huaxia's yellow-haired monkeys back to Huaxia."

A string of blessings made Kuno feel his importance.

In the past, he was like a flower vase, with many navy-related matters being trivial, allowing subordinates to handle them. As for significant matters, they were typically reported to the United Nations by cabinet heads for mediation, so he rarely needed to take action.

Now, he could finally plot over those few islands of Huaxia, how could he not be happy?

On the map, several islands were displayed, but in reality, the entire Nansha Islands stretched over 1,800 kilometers. Just the few major islands occupied by Huaxia comprised more than 200 shoals, reef islands, and small islands.

Materials and resources, naturally, need not be mentioned, as they are abundant.

"Thank you, everyone, I, Kuno, will not let you down. I shall proceed to plan the upcoming tasks now. Excuse me." Kuno said, spirited and ambitious as he left the hall of political discussions.

Of course, their actions were not publicly announced, as everything was done in secrecy...(To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com for reading.)

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