The expeditionary force began to dominate Southeast Asia by recruiting defeated soldiers

The old man's words were like a needle, precisely puncturing Nehru's balloon of anger.

His body stiffened slightly, his angry expression froze, and then slowly gave way to a complex emotion.

He remained silent, unable to refute.

Yes, he underestimated Jinnah's determination, overestimated John's control, and most importantly, he never expected that this upstart in Southeast Asia would have such great ambition and drive, and with such methods... that they are difficult to define by traditional colonialism.

This was his strategic misjudgment, his mistake.

But as proud as he is, he would never admit it in public.

Seeing the leader remain silent, another high-ranking party official known for his hardline stance, Patel, immediately stepped in to smooth things over and steer the conversation toward a more pressing matter:

"Arguing about the past is pointless. The key now is the provisional government and the upcoming constitutional conference. We must make our position clear: there must be no representatives of the Mu Xingyue Alliance in the provisional government."

"The seats in the Constituent Assembly must be held by an absolute majority of our National Assembly faction; this is a matter of principle!"

"Yes! Get them out of here."

"The constitution for unifying India cannot be drafted by the Crescent Moon and Star Movement."

"The future of the country must be decided by our National Congress, representing the true people of India."

The hardliners echoed their sentiments, stirring up emotions in the meeting room once again, as if directing their criticism at the Star-Moon Alliance would temporarily make them forget the thorny issues brought about by Southeast Asia.

Nehru seized the opportunity to regain his momentum, knowing that Southeast Asia was not a region he could afford to offend for the time being.

So he raised his hand to silence the commotion, and his voice returned to its usual speaking tone, but with a touch more ruthlessness:

“Patel is right. Right now, our biggest and most direct enemy is Jinnah and his Crescent Moon Alliance. They want to divide our Motherland India. As for those princes of the Southeast Asian states who have been misled…”

He sneered, his gaze sweeping over the areas marked in red on the map:

"They're nothing but skeletons in a grave, pathetic creatures clinging to the feudal privileges of the old era. Do they really think they can defy the tide of history by relying on some weapons sold to them by Southeast Asia and hiring a few instructors?"

“Once we are officially independent and have full control of the army and the state apparatus,” Nehru’s voice was resolute, “these rebellious princely states will be wiped out.”

We will use swift and decisive measures to restore the unity and integrity of the nation. If Southeast Asia dares to intervene directly... then let them taste the iron fist of the Ganges warriors.

We are not afraid of sacrifice. For the sake of unification, we are willing to pay any price to defeat them decisively.

"well said."

"Unify the Great Sindhu".

The meeting room erupted in enthusiastic applause and slogans.

Amidst a chorus of support, Nehru temporarily set aside his worries about Southeast Asia and devoted all his energy to a more intense struggle against the Crescent-Star Alliance.

He had no idea that his tough stance today would come at a terrible price in the future.

-----

In Southeast Asia, it's harvest time.

A large map hangs on the wall of the conference room, and General Tan Zhijie, holding a pointer, is giving a report on the progress of the project.

"Gentlemen, since the crisis erupted in July and we deployed security services to the subcontinent, three months have passed, and our phased strategic objectives have been largely achieved. The results are as follows..."

Tan Zhijie pointed his pointer:

"Geographically, we have secured long-term access to two major air bases in Hyderabad, which can serve as strategic transit points and forward reconnaissance hubs."

They have obtained a 20-year right to use the Visakhapatnam deep-water port on the east coast of India, with the right of first refusal to renew. The port can accommodate ships of 10,000 tons and is a key piece in controlling the Bay of Bengal.

Through the security cooperation agreement, we have established a deep security cooperation and intelligence-sharing mechanism covering an area of ​​over 1.2 million square kilometers, including Hyderabad and the Northeast Five States Alliance, thus enjoying indirect but substantial security dominance.

"In the military sphere, the military advisory group led by 'Dragon Security Company' has successfully completed the initial standardization transformation of the main force of the Hyderabad Royal Guard and the armed forces of the northeastern states in Southeast Asia."

A compatible system was established, encompassing individual soldier equipment, tactical regulations, and command and communication.

“More importantly,” Tan Zhijie looked at Zhao Jianguo, “we have established a contact and training network covering the upper and middle-level commanders of various cooperative armed forces, who are the cornerstone of future long-term cooperation.”

"On the economic front," Bai Hongsheng picked up the conversation, his tone much lighter, "we signed a series of ancillary agreements, using security cooperation as a stepping stone."

They were granted ten-year priority mining rights for some rare minerals in Hyderabad; and the export of specialty products such as timber and tea from the northeastern states received tariff preferences and market access commitments.

The concession rights for commercial development within a 50-kilometer radius of Visakhapatnam port have also been secured. Preliminary estimates suggest that the long-term economic benefits will be more than ten times the initial investment.

“In terms of politics and reputation,” Li Zhenguo stood up, “through the Hyderabad model project, we have successfully cultivated an image in the international community as a professional, effective, and respectful provider of security services that respects local wishes.”

Several Middle Eastern emirates have inquired about DragonSec's service scope and pricing through informal channels. Our soft power outreach has had a good start.

Zhang Chi listened quietly, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest.

He only spoke slowly when everyone had finished reporting and all eyes were on him.

"Remember, this is just the beginning. Security services are just the entry-level product for us to open up new markets and build trust."

A smile played at the corners of his lips, and his eyes gleamed with ambition.

"Our clients have accepted our security services, become accustomed to our equipment standards, and trust our professional capabilities."

So, going forward, will they need to upgrade their equipment? Will they need supporting logistics and maintenance systems? Will they need economic cooperation and infrastructure development based on a common security framework?

Do their resources require more stable and efficient export channels? All of this represents potential value-added services that can be extended.

“What we want is more than just a security contract,” Zhang Chi summarized. “What we want is to build a new regional cooperation ecosystem with Southeast Asia at its core, deeply intertwined interests, and standards and rules formulated with our participation, through the bond of security. The subcontinent is the first testing ground for this ecosystem, but it will certainly not be the last.”

-----

That same evening, in the Bay of Bengal, 120 nautical miles off the port of Visakhapatnam.

A warship is slicing through the calm sea at cruising speed.

It was the Fletcher-class destroyer USS Courageous of the United States Navy, with its radar antenna slowly rotating atop the bridge.

Captain Lin Hai stood by the porthole, watching the setting sun gradually sink below the horizon.

The communications officer approached and handed over a newly translated telegram: "Captain, direct instructions from Rangoon Command."

Lin Hai took it and quickly browsed through it.

The message was simple, consisting of only one line: "The Courageous is commencing its routine training patrol in the North Bengal Bay area as planned. Its primary mission is to ensure the safety of our shipping routes and friendly ports."

Map up to October 1946