Chapter 722: The Falling Federation

  Chapter 722 The Falling Federation

  North Island.

  As the capital of the Federation, it is the largest island in the southern seas and also the most prosperous island.

  Although the population living here is only over 90,000, it is home to the Federation’s largest heavy industrial base and shipyard.

  Including the Glory destroyer that has sunk into the sea, nine of the Federation’s thirteen ships were built here, and the remaining four submarines were built in the submarine factories of Anle Island and Coral City.

  After the armed forces took control of the Presidential Palace and the Navy Headquarters, Charas was inaugurated as the new president with the support of the Federation Marine Corps, and delivered his inaugural speech via radio.

  ”… I tell you with a heavy heart that our President has committed the unforgivable crime of treason.”

  ”When our fleet has achieved absolute superiority and is about to win the final victory, he actually intends to overturn the crimes committed by our enemies! He attempts to use artificially fabricated evidence of distorted facts to destroy the unity we have finally formed.”

  ”I will never allow such a thing to happen, even if that person is the one I once respected the most.”

  ”Hunger, disease, forced labor, suppression of dissenting opinions… As long as you put on that blue coat, everything is legal. Ask your fathers and grandfathers, they will tell you what those hermit crabs looked like before! Go ask them! Who built the artificial island built fifty years after the Wasteland Era! Was it those things that suddenly appeared half a century later, or were we who have lived here from the beginning!”

  ”They just happened to be lucky enough to be born in the shelter, and the Prosperous Era became their thing, and everything built with the tools of the Prosperous Era became their patent. And we, the survivors who have endured generation after generation of suffering outside and stood up from the ruins, have become monkeys in need of education.”

  ”It’s as if we appeared out of thin air, we are the ones who eat their food and use their things, and we live in the settlements they built, because our fathers were not great enough, because our fathers did not live for a second in that prosperous era! Ask the old guys in your family, ask them if this is the case!”

  ”What we want to settle accounts with is never a single ocean current power station, but everything in the past century! They think that the power station is their credit, and they are the only remnants of the Human Union, and they are the only ones who deserve to own the legacy of the Human Union, and our blood and sweat are as insignificant as our opinions. We are just the beasts they use to rebuild their utopia, so let them roll back into the ground with their arrogance! That utopia doesn’t have our name at all!”

  The passionate words echoed in the square in front of the Presidential Palace, in the shipyard, in the military camp, and in the settlements on the North Island…

  People stopped their work and gathered in front of the radio, and hatred and anger gradually ignited on their silent faces.

  Charas did not prepare a speech, nor did he need one. Public speaking was a natural skill for him.

  Moreover, he was one of the people who drafted the Declaration. It was not an exaggeration to say that he was one of the founding fathers of the Federation. Moreover, he was a hardliner with a high reputation in the military.

  Although President Mungo was the commander of the Federation Navy, that was only a duty given to him by the Declaration or the Constitution. The military did not sincerely support him to that position.

  That guy was a bureaucrat who was close to “pedantic” in both character and way of dealing with things. Both the officers and himself thought so.

  As a conservative, he might be supported by most survivors and establishment personnel, but his popularity in the military was far less than his own.

  And this guy did do something stupid.

  But he did not turn a blind eye to the Ocean Current Power Station, nor did he appoint himself as the chief of staff. Instead, he tried to merge two factions that had not reached an agreement at all through a political speculation.

  Both the conservatives and the radicals did need a federation, but their motives were completely different. The former seeks equality of identity and political rights, while the latter seeks to get rid of the shackles of the “ghosts” of the prosperous era.

  Those guys sitting on the big ships and cannons never said that they needed a law-abiding president. Their ambitions were far more than just a federation, and even more than being the walls of the federation.

  This problem could have been solved through negotiation and mutual compromise, but a military and political adventure put all disputes on hold.

  This federation born of injustice is like a ball of sand held by hands. It has never been a real stone, and there is not enough time for it to become a stone.

  As long as the hand holding it loosens, it will fall into its original shape.

  Of course, Charas admitted that he also did a stupid thing, that is, he lied too much and even believed it himself.

  When signing the declaration, he should have realized that he was a speculator and had no chance to take it slow.

  Once the war was over, the president opened his eyes that had been closed and restarted the investigation into the cause of the sinking of the ocean current power station.

  I will definitely be liquidated for helping the Torch Church to conceal the truth, and so will all the officers involved.

  The new authorities will definitely do this. After all, as long as the real criminals are liquidated, those guys can cut off from the past and then lead the residents of Shelter 70 into a new era.

  As for me and my supporters, no one will thank them for their contribution to the unity of the Federation. They can only spend the rest of their lives behind bars.

  But it is precisely because of this that those who are directly or indirectly involved in the sinking of the Ocean Current Power Station are my natural allies!

  They must choose themselves.

  And they can only choose themselves!

  Only if they win can they shape the correct memory and prevent them from becoming the fool who shoots himself in the foot!

  Looking at the pairs of ignited pupils under the podium, Charas announced the final result in a calm and solemn tone.

  ”…President Mungo refused to accept the trial of the law. He not only resisted stubbornly, but also attempted to launch a coup. Now he has been killed by our soldiers.”

  ”The declaration signed by the criminal is no longer valid. The new cabinet will draft a new code, and I will now serve as acting president.”

  ”Until we win the final victory!”

  …

  Anle Island.

  This picturesque island has only more than 50,000 people living on it, but it is home to the largest naval logistics base in the Federation.

  Half of the residents on the island are working personnel of the Federation Navy and their families, or at least are engaged in naval logistics.

  Of course, there are also some refugees from Coral City.

  The earliest shipyard in the southern waters is also located here, and the earliest batch of transport ships and seabed mining ships also departed from here.

  If the Ring Island is the first man-made island completed by the survivors in the southern seas, then this is the first natural island to ignite the flame of industry, even earlier than the opening of the door of Shelter No. 70. And it is precisely because of the parts produced from this island that the underwater miracle of Coral City, as well as the heavy industrial center and large shipyard of the North Island, came into being.

  However, at this moment, the island that first ignited the industrial fire was now covered by another invisible burning flame.

  First, Captain Dongwen’s last words were delivered, then the news of the sinking of the Glorious destroyer, and then the inaugural speech full of lies by Chief of Staff Charas.

  A series of appalling things were linked together, which completely aroused the anger of a group of soldiers and officers in the base.

  In fact, until the soldiers on duty at the dock received Captain Dongwen’s last words from the captain of the marine patrol team, there were still many people in this naval base who supported Charas, and even used “this is for the unity of the federation” to excuse Charas’s behavior.

  However, when the unbelievable news that “the Glory was wrecked due to a mutiny on board” came, not many people were willing to believe the lies that guy uttered.

  Everyone had no doubt that the guy was crazy. He was even willing to let the federal fleet kill each other for his own selfish desires.

  And the people who followed the guy were also crazy. The officers who were loyal to the Constitution immediately took action and sent Charas’s confidants and accomplices to prison.

  They would not release these people from the black room until they were sure that these guys would not follow Charas to make stupid mistakes and deeply reflect on their past words and deeds. At the

  same time as Charas delivered his inaugural speech, General Li Minghui, the vice president of the federation, deputy commander of the federal navy, and the highest commander of the Anle Island naval base, who was pushed to the front of the stage, also delivered a public speech through the military radio of Anle Island.

  ”…Just now, we have witnessed together the darkest and most shameful page in the history of the Federation. In a shameful betrayal, we not only lost the Glory and the two hundred brave young men on board, we lost our president, and also the declaration we jointly signed and our dignity that we maintained for less than four months.”

  ”Charas tried to use lies to lead our Federation into the bottomless abyss. This war is no longer a war, but a tool for him to seize power and exclude dissidents. Now, this ‘Laken’ in human skin has finally revealed his greedy appetite and fangs, trying to lead us into the bottomless abyss.”

  ”We will never compromise with the beast, and we will no longer accept peace maintained by lies. What we need is true unity!”

  ”From now on, Anle Island will no longer recognize the legitimacy of the North Island authorities! At the same time, we call on the survivors of other islands to unite and fight alongside us! For our future! For all the survivors living in this sea area!” At the end of his speech, he

  announced the establishment of the Anle Island authorities, the inauguration of the acting president and commander of the federal fleet, and declared war on the rebels on the North Island in the name of the Constitution.

  Compared with Charas’ inaugural speech, General Li Minghui’s speech was undoubtedly hasty and lacked momentum.

  Although legally speaking, he was the first in line for acting president, but unfortunately Charas had become the actual ruler of North Island.

  Although that guy still held the title of president, the authority in his hands actually far exceeded the powers granted to him by the code. And the reason why he was able to do this successfully was undoubtedly because he had the support of North Island officers, at least some people!

  Even if he didn’t want to face his former comrades, Li Minghui could only make the most practical choice at the moment – to declare the North Island authorities illegal in the name of the code and to establish a new authority on Anle Island.

  He didn’t want to do this.

  But he had no other choice.

  If he surrendered to Charas, that guy would definitely liquidate him as the legal vice president and kill him with any crime.

  Just like that guy did whatever it took to get rid of President Monggo and Captain Dongwen…

  …

  Having witnessed the entire coup, Muda never expected that the memory card he brought to Anle Island would cause such a big storm, and even split the entire federation.

  What he didn’t expect was that he himself inexplicably became a member of the Anle Island Military Government Council that drafted the new declaration.

  In the federation, he was one of those people who was close to Shelter No. 70, and was considered a marginalized role in the federal authorities.

  After all, it was the manager, Mr. Sun Yuechi, who separated the maritime patrol from the federal fleet and assigned it to the Ministry of Finance under the cabinet.

  This delayed the arrival of the crisis to a certain extent, but it also gave the maritime patrol the political label of “shelter faction”.

  However, the Anle Island authorities obviously had no time to worry about these things.

  Dealing with the military pressure from the North Island was the most urgent issue they needed to solve at the moment.

  Even if it was just a few speedboats and minelayers, they had to do everything they could to get them…

  In the Anle Island Naval Base, in the combat conference room, a meeting concerning the future fate of the Federation was in full swing.

  Muda was called in when the meeting was halfway through, so when he walked in, the conference table was almost full of people.

  The tense and oppressive atmosphere was overwhelming.

  He glanced at the people sitting at the conference table, sat down in an empty seat, lowered his voice, and whispered to the director of the logistics department who was sitting next to him.

  ”How many people responded to our broadcast?”

  The director of the logistics department said in a low voice with an unsightly expression.

  ”Only four governors.”

  Muda was stunned. He didn’t expect that their appeal on the side of legal principles was so weak, and he couldn’t help but ask.

  ”What about the fleet?”

  ”We have one cruiser, two destroyers, and three submarines… If we don’t consider converting some civilian ships, that’s all for now.”

  ”… What about them?”

  ”One battleship, one cruiser, three destroyers, and one attack submarine.” As if the situation was too unfavorable, the logistics director tried to save face and added, “But the submarine factory is on our side, so we are not without advantages.”

  Hearing the conversation between the two, another officer sitting next to them coughed lightly and interrupted in a low voice.

  ”Yes, we are not without advantages, but the only advantages are not worth mentioning compared to the disadvantages. Without the reactor factory in Coral City, we can’t produce fusion-powered submarines with stronger silence, and conventional submarines are difficult to use in formal operations… Moreover, the largest shipyards and ammunition factories in the Federation are in the hands of Charas and his men.”

  Muda swallowed his saliva involuntarily.

  ”… Difficult.”

  The officer sighed.

  ”Indeed.”

  The largest industrial bases and shipyards are in the north. The northern islands have enough population, technology, and industrial capacity to transform technology into war machines.

  The longer the time drags on, the more disadvantageous it will be for the Anle Island authorities.

  Even if they launch a hasty attack now, it is almost impossible to defeat the Beidao Fleet led by the battleship flagship with only one patrol, two destroyers and three submarines on Anle Island.

  Not to mention that there are supporters of Charas among them. Even if some of them are sent to prison, it will take some time to arrange new people to replace them.

  Of course, the current situation of Beidao is the same. Since there are people who support Charas, there must be people who support the declaration and the democratically elected president.

  Both Beidao and Anle Island are suffering from the pain brought by chaos at this moment.

  Whoever settles the chaos within themselves and eliminates the opponent first will become the new owner of this sea area.

  ”What about Ring Island? Is there any new news?” Commander Li Minghui flicked the ash on the ashtray and looked at the adjutant beside him after thinking for a moment. Ring

  Island is located in the westernmost part of the southern sea area, close to the Baiyue Strait. It is located just behind the four islands of the Anle Island authorities and is also the most populous island in the Federation.

  If that settlement falls to Charas, the consequences will be disastrous.

  That is why they must do their best to win it over to the Anle Island authorities.

  The adjutant shook his head and said,

  ”The governor there is an opportunist, in other words, a fence-sitter. He said in his reply that he does not want to take sides… I even feel that he may want to leave the Federation and join the Alliance.” The

  commander frowned.

  ”It’s difficult.”

  The adjutant also sighed and nodded slightly.

  ”Yes.”

  There was a silence at the conference table.

  At this moment, an officer suddenly spoke up.

  ”Why don’t we bring the Alliance into our team?”

  As soon as this was said, there was a commotion at the conference table, and almost more than half of the people cast a surprised look at that guy.

  Including Muda, who had received money from the Alliance a long time ago.

  The adjutant sitting next to the commander frowned slightly and couldn’t help asking a question.

  ”Is this appropriate?”

  The Alliance’s land force is indeed good, but they are too far away after all, and their sea force is almost non-existent.

  Even if those people have some small planes, he really doesn’t know how to evaluate that kind of thing. He can only say that they are really not afraid of death and dare to ride on any strange transportation.

  Even without considering the strength of this potential ally, introducing external forces to intervene in the affairs of the southern seas is itself worthy of concern.

  Facing everyone’s doubts, the officer who proposed it continued in a serious tone.

  ”We have no choice. This is the only way to win. And while we are hesitating, the traitors of the Federation have already borrowed the power of the Torch. If we continue to hesitate, we can only sink to the bottom of the sea with our principles.” A

  whisper spread around the conference table.

  Indeed.

  Everyone sitting here knows a little about the destruction of the Ocean Current Power Station. If it was just speculation before, then the recording left by Captain Dong Wen has almost proved the dirty work between the Charas authorities and the Torch Church.

  It was with the tacit consent of the fleet stationed in the North Island that the mutants were able to pass through the patrol area in the north of the Federation and go deep into the heart of the Federation.

  At this time, the captain of a destroyer said slowly.

  ”It’s not completely impossible. The Alliance seems to have a good reputation in Silver Moon Bay. They also supported the countries of Luoxia Province in their war of invasion against the Legion and its vassal states, and they did not take the opportunity to annex the kingdoms there afterwards.”

  Another submarine captain retorted.

  ”What about Jin Gallon Port?”

  The captain of the destroyer continued.

  ”They set up a new authority composed of local survivors. Although it is unacceptable from the perspective of the Xilan Empire’s royal family, the Empire itself took action first… and I always feel that their simultaneous appearance in the Baiyue Strait with the mutants is not a coincidence.”

  Another officer sitting not far from him rubbed his chin with his index finger, and nodded after thinking for a moment.

  ”That makes sense. Those people even allowed the feudal kingdom of Luoxia Province to continue to exist, as long as the local royal family abolished slavery and achieved equality between people in law… and in this regard, we have gone much further than those feudal lords, and they have no reason to dictate our affairs.”

  The submarine captain who raised the objection hesitated for a moment, but couldn’t think of a reason to refute, and finally nodded.

  ”That’s true…”

  As the conversation started, everyone started talking at once, and the solemn atmosphere at the conference table also dissipated a lot.

  Seeking help from the alliance is indeed a way to solve the problem. At least those people are much more reliable than the crazy people in Haiya Province.

  And I heard that the alliance and Torch are old enemies.

  Even if it is considered from their own strategic needs, those people do have the desire to intervene in the situation in the southern sea area.

  ”There are differences between them and the residents of Shelter No. 70. At least they dare to settle in Baiyue Province where the hermit crabs in Shelter No. 70 dare not go, while those guys are thinking of occupying our place not long after they crawled out from the bottom of the sea.”

  ”I agree. This war is no longer just our war. The Torch has been involved from the very beginning! If Captain Dongwen’s last words are accurate, then the real murderer who destroyed the ocean current power station is undoubtedly the Torch!”

  ”I agree. The matter of the ocean current power station still needs to be investigated, but the mutant corpses that appeared on the north side of the roundabout island are certain!”

  ”Well… I suggest not using the name hermit crabs. We have to find a way to win over the residents of Shelter No. 70 who are also victims.” ”

  What does it matter? The blue jackets in French Fries Port also call themselves Blue Gophers. I remember that was a nickname given to them by the Weilants.”

  ”As you said, they are residents of different shelters, so naturally they have different ideas… We’d better pay attention to them.”

  The meeting table was full of discussions, but Muda, who was sitting in the corner of the meeting table, found that he couldn’t get a word in.

  The federal patrol only had a dozen speedboats with super long endurance, and they could only help lay mines at most.

  At this moment, he suddenly realized something, looked at the director of the logistics department sitting next to him, and touched his arm with his elbow.

  ”Can I ask a question?”

  The man nodded.

  ”Of course.”

  After a pause, he asked the question that had been weighing on his mind for a while.

  ”…Is this a civil war?”

  The director of the logistics department was slightly stunned, and looked at the captain intriguingly, as if wondering why he asked such a question.

  Especially in a place like this.

  After taking a look at his colleagues who were discussing around the conference table, he looked at the patrol captain sitting next to him again.

  ”Is there any other explanation?”

  After receiving an affirmative answer, Muda nodded and said nothing more. The stone in his heart finally fell to the ground.

  He was actually not surprised that it would come to this. Even two months ago, he vaguely felt that something big would happen if it continued like this.

  But when this moment really came, he still couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed.

  Civil war…

  I didn’t expect that in just four months, they who were once so united would be broken into three pieces…

  …

  Dark clouds were accumulating over Beidao and Anledao, but at this moment, the empty sea was a tranquil sunset. The

  rest area of ​​the Dolphin nuclear submarine.

  Looking at Captain Chen Jianhong coming towards him, Dong Wen, who had already changed his clothes, had a half-thankful and half-ashamed look on his face.

  Needless to say, this nuclear-powered cargo submarine saved two hundred crew members on the destroyer, including himself.

  As for the shame, this was the first time he had seen their “enemy” face to face since the war between the two sides started four months ago…

  He moved his lips for a moment, and nodded slightly.

  ”Thank you.” ”

  You’re welcome, would you like a cup?”

  Holding a mug in each hand, Chen Jianhong didn’t wait for him to answer, and put one of the cups in his hand, and then sat on the bench beside him.

  ”‘Champion’ brand coffee beans, I personally like to add a little sugar and milk, I don’t know if it suits your taste, try it.”

  A faint milky aroma penetrated into the tip of the nose, mixed with a hint of bitterness of coffee beans.

  The warmth that penetrated the wall of the cup into the palm of the hand dispelled the cold brought by the sea water. Dong Wen sat silently next to Captain Chen and said absentmindedly.

  ”Good stuff… where did you get it from?”

  Chen Jianhong grinned, tasted it, and said slowly.

  ”It wasn’t me who did it, it was my new boss who did it.”

  ”Alliance?”

  ”Well, they picked up the treasure synthesized from the black box in Shelter No. 79, and later took it to the Camelback Kingdom to entrust the local plantation to grow it… This kind of coffee beans seems to need to be cultivated in a plateau environment, and the altitude of the Zhuobar Mountains is just right.”

  ”They are quite good at enjoying it.” Dong Wen also tasted it slowly, but couldn’t help frowning his cheeks and brows because of the bitterness.

  Seeing his unacceptable look, Chen Jianhong laughed and said.

  ”I guess so, I have been infected with their habits to some extent, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing.”

  Looking at the silent Dong Wen, Chen Jianhong moved his eyes away from the frowning face, looked straight ahead, and slowly spoke.

  ”In fact, these days, after learning about the other shelters, I have seriously thought about what the difference is between us.”

  Dong Wen raised his head.

  ”Have you thought of it?”

  ”I guess so…” Chen Jianhong shrugged his shoulders and said nonchalantly, “I find that you may be right. There is really no difference between us.”

  Dong Wen looked at him in surprise. The latter paused for a moment and continued.

  ”My great-grandfather lay in the hibernation capsule for a hundred years, but my great-grandmother was a resident of the island. If my grandfather still had the mark of a blue coat, there was not much left by my father’s generation. Even my education was completed in Coral City, and many engineers of the Federation were also there, and they even read the same textbooks as me.”

  Dong Wen looked at him.

  ”Then what is the problem?”

  Chen Jianhong thought for a while and said.

  ”Maybe… it’s the manager.”

  Dong Wen’s face showed a trace of surprise.

  ”You mean Mr. Sun Yuechi?”

  ”Sun Yuechi?” Chen Jianhong was stunned for a moment, then smiled and waved his hand, “Then you misunderstood, it has nothing to do with that guy. I used to look down on him, but since I went to Dawn City and talked to him, I found that he is actually a very thoughtful person. He also worked hard to patch up the coat we have worn for a century, but the power of one person is too small in the face of the general trend.”

  Dong Wen looked at him puzzled.

  ”Then are there others?”

  Chen Jianhong shrugged.

  ”It’s just my personal opinion, maybe… the problem lies in the profession of manager itself. To be honest, our manager was originally only the manager of Shelter No. 70. Of course, there is no problem for us to select the next manager in our own way. However, the key is that after the door is opened… our manager needs to manage not only the shelter, but also thirteen islands and an underwater settlement.”

  Dong Wen hesitated slightly.

  ”Is there any problem with this?”

  Chen Jianhong shook his head.

  ”No problem. There were no problems at the beginning. For example, the Stone City did a good job before the black card deteriorated. The Singularity City also did well at the beginning, but it took a detour after losing the help of the War Construction Committee. Even including the Empire I passed by not long ago, no matter whether General Lowell and the survivors at that time were serious enough, it was really not a job for humans to accept hundreds of millions of refugees with a prairie of four million square kilometers… Of course, we are the same. We did a good job until four months ago. We can’t negate everything in the past two centuries just because of the chaos of these four months.”

  Dong Wen didn’t speak, just looked at him quietly, waiting for his next words.

  Chen Jianhong paused for a while, sighed and said.

  ”Perhaps the original manager is enough for the manager… If the work of the tailor is not passed down from generation to generation, after that adult leaves, we can carve his name at the door of the shelter that is also about to die, thank him and the prosperous era for the grace they have bestowed on us, commemorate his birthday and departure together, and hold hands to discuss how to go in the future.”

  At this point, he looked at Dong Wen and grinned.

  ”Look, at least this way we have a common tradition, and we don’t have to go to the endless festivals of the Prosperity Era. I’ve never thought about how good the Prosperity Era is. You all think that blue coats know what that place looks like, but to be honest, I’ve never been there to take a look. It’s not bad to start everything from where we are.”

  Dong Wen rested his head against the wall, closed his eyes and sighed.

  ”Maybe.”

  He found that he didn’t hate those blue coats very much.

  Maybe his ancestors were also residents of the shelter, or almost became the lucky ones who hid in the shelter.

  What exactly led them to the field they are in now?

  Maybe he should really think about it.

  But…

  that’s not what he should do now.

  After drinking the last of his coffee, he looked at Chen Jianhong and asked.

  ”What now? What are you going to do?”

  As soon as he finished speaking, before the captain of the Dolphin could answer, a calm and clear voice came from the side.

  ”We plan to take advantage of the chaos of the federal fleet and go directly to Shelter No. 70.”

  ”There is no better opportunity than now.”

  (End of this chapter)