Chapter Fourteen: Fifty Million Troops Drafted, Astonishing the Nations

In the square, everyone seemed almost insignificant.

Yet behind each of them lay a story.

It was these millions of stories, woven together, that formed the tale of Great Xia.

It was because of these stories that so many people vied to defend Great Xia.

Though each of those who eagerly volunteered came from different walks of life, in this moment—casting aside status and wealth—they shared a single identity.

Citizens of Great Xia!

And as such, they were ready to die for Great Xia!

The video lasted only two minutes.

But after watching it, whether it was First Chair Puchuan of the Free State, or Kameda, the First Chair of the Turtle Field Nation, all of them fell silent.

This top-secret online meeting lapsed into quiet.

Though they had only watched a single video, the sight of those countless people thronging the square left them shaken.

Every person seemed so ordinary, yet together, they exuded an indomitable will.

That scarlet banner, waving in the wind, was strikingly vivid.

“I don’t get it, I really don’t,” Puchuan rubbed his brow. “Why do the masses of Great Xia have such cohesion? Think of the wretches in my Free State—I graciously build walls for them, and they curse me! I ask them to wear masks, and they claim we’re restricting their freedom! Yet in Great Xia, a single call for conscription, and they rush to sign up! Is it us who are abnormal, or are they all mad?”

“If you ask me, we ought to send our Free State citizens over to Great Xia for some schooling!” The more Puchuan spoke, the angrier he became, jabbing the table as he cursed.

“No wonder our predecessors failed back then,” muttered Kameda, stroking his walrus mustache, his brow furrowed. “That radiance on their faces… it’s terrifying!”

“It’s not the same,” John, First Chair of Britannia, said thoughtfully. “I’ve studied Great Xia. They have five thousand years of history; they are all descendants of Yan and Huang, sharing the same ancestors.”

“Countless scholars and poets celebrate patriotism, and even their martial arts novels speak of heroes who serve the nation and its people.”

“Their sense of unity is not something we can rival. They are a people with a profound sense of identity!”

No sooner had he finished than a middle-aged man in the corner of the video window slammed the table. “That’s not true! Clearly, we are the ones with five thousand years of history. Those Great Xia people only plagiarize from us!”

“Our Galactic Nation is the true center of the universe, the one with five thousand years of history—traditional medicine is ours, the characters are ours, Qu Yuan is ours, even Confucius belongs to us…”

John, the First Chair of Britannia, looked helpless before the outburst could finish.

Puchuan frowned, responding with feigned indifference, “Yes, yes, you’re the center of the universe. Not only those five thousand years of history, but the entire Blue Star, the whole universe, belongs to you…”

With that, Puchuan moved his pudgy hand and removed the Galactic Nation’s representative from the video conference.

“Who was that just now?” John of Britannia sounded rather dissatisfied. “In the future, let’s not include such low-level little countries in these meetings. It’s not that they’re unworthy of our discussions, but honestly… what’s the point of inviting a country that’s smaller than a single province of Great Xia?”

“Ahem, let’s get back to business,” Kameda said, clearing his throat.

“That video is something we must take seriously,” John said with a frown. “There’s word that in every province and city square of Great Xia, scenes like the one in the video are unfolding—people are signing up with a kind of frenzy…”

“What?” Puchuan couldn’t believe it. “Every single one? Are you saying… Great Xia really plans to conscript fifty million?!”

John nodded. “Perhaps even more! By our projections, they’ll exceed that quota!”

Silence fell once more.

Fifty million conscripts!

What kind of nation was this?

“Have they lost their minds?” Puchuan exclaimed, tapping the table excitedly. “Are they really preparing to go to war with us?”

“Fifty million…”

Even these leaders of the Western powers felt deeply shocked at the number.

Fifty million—what did that even mean?

It was nearly the entire population of Britannia!

And this was just a seven-day conscription drive in Great Xia.

With a single draft, they could match the population of an entire nation—wasn’t that terrifying?

In this moment, all the leaders of the Western nations felt a nameless fear.

It was as if—

A dragon was awakening.

A sleeping lion straightened its spine, roaring through the forests!

“No! Impossible!”

A voice suddenly broke the silence.

Asan, the First Chair of Indus White Elephant, thumped the table. “Great Xia may have a large population, but ours is even larger!”

“We even dare to drink cow urine—would they?”

“We ride motorbikes on the battlefield performing stunts—can they?”

Puchuan was momentarily stunned. “What are you on about?”

“Gentlemen, don’t misunderstand, I’m not showing off,” Asan said proudly. “I just mean to say—”

“We couldn’t manage such a conscription, so how could they? If you ask me, this is just like their previous boasts about building a hospital in ten days, or a highway in two months—exaggeration!”

“So there’s nothing to fear!”

Puchuan was silent for a moment, then moved his small hand.

“Notice: Asan, First Chair of Indus White Elephant, has been forcibly disconnected from the meeting.”

“My apologies,” Puchuan sighed, “who’d have thought that drinking cow urine could breed such confidence… truly remarkable.”

“Let’s return to the matter at hand,” Puchuan continued calmly.

“In summary,” John of Britannia said gravely, “Great Xia is serious this time.”

“We must stop them!”

“We’ve already dispatched diplomats to inquire about this conscription.” John spoke seriously. “No matter how they try to evade, we must demand to know the real reason for their draft! Are they preparing for war?”

“Then we’ll hit them with international public opinion!”

“Yes!” Puchuan nodded, looking at the other Western leaders. “Do you all agree?”

“Agreed!”

“We must expose the conspiracy of Great Xia!”

“They must be drafting fifty million to go to war with us!”

“Stop them!”

“Good,” Puchuan waved his hand. “In that case, let’s have our diplomats unite and press them on this conscription—force them to reveal its purpose!”

“Great Xia has already prepared a reception. It starts in ten minutes. Now, hurry and contact your diplomats on the ground!”

“We must expose Great Xia’s ambitions!”