Eagle Sauce: The 055 destroyer was launched into the sea just after the founding of the country?

After hearing what Howell said.

Joseph's beard trembled slightly and he stood up.

He picked up the pipe on the table and began to slowly fill it with tobacco.

"Long Nation and I are brother nations of the Red Alliance. Their leader personally assured me that border issues will not affect our friendship..."

But there was a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

Howell seized upon this opportunity and pressed forward.

"Haha, my dear Comrade Joseph, I didn't expect you to be such a naive guy."

"Will the Dragon Country's attitude, which was guaranteed ten years ago, be the same as that of the Dragon Country now possessing fourth-generation fighter jets?"

"You taught me, Joseph, that the strong never need to keep their promises to the weak."

There was the sound of a lit match from the other end of the line, followed by a deep breath.

Joseph apparently lit his pipe.

"Even if I admit that what you said about 'potential threat' has some truth to it,"

Joseph's voice was vague and muffled in the smoke.

"What can you offer? The ideological gap between the Americans and the Russians is too deep."

"Will your Congress and your media allow you to cooperate with the 'evil Red Front'?"

Howell smiled slightly; this was exactly the question he had been expecting.

"We don't need an open alliance."

"We could start with intelligence sharing—any information on Dragon Nation's military technology."

"Our scientists can meet secretly in third countries."

"Joseph, think about it, if we unite, we can delay the development of Dragon Kingdom for at least twenty years."

Joseph was silent for a moment, the gurgling sound of his pipe clearly audible over the telephone line.

"It's an interesting proposal, but it's too risky. If the information leaks, I'll be accused of betraying the Crimson Alliance."

"Their leader isn't as dangerous as you claim, but he's certainly well versed in political maneuvering."

“The risk goes both ways, Joseph.”

Howell lowered his voice.

"Think about it, if Dragon Country is really 20 years ahead of us, who will take the leadership of the Crimson Alliance?"

"Who will be the true soul of the Red Front? Will it be Moscow or the Imperial Capital?"

These words were like a sharp knife, piercing Joseph's heart.

The Russian leader's breathing became heavier.

Howell knew he had touched Joseph's most sensitive nerve - his absolute desire for power and his pathological suspicion of any potential competitor.

"You and I both understand,"

Howell continued.

"Ideas can spread, but power must be centralized. Two suns cannot coexist in one system."

“Today, you are the leader of the Red Front world, but what about ten years from now?”

Inside the Kremlin, Joseph stood before his huge world map, his eyes sweeping across the Asian continent and stopping on the map of the Dragon Kingdom.

That vast land is home to hundreds of millions of people, rich in resources and an ancient civilization.

Now, they seem to have acquired advanced technology again.

“I need to see proof,”

Joseph finally spoke, his voice regaining its calm and authority.

"Detailed intelligence on this so-called 'fourth-generation fighter.' Not some blurry photos and scary stories, but real technical data."

Howell's heartbeat quickened.

He took the bait.

"Of course, I will arrange for our intelligence personnel to prepare a detailed report."

"This includes firsthand testimony from our pilots, footage from onboard cameras, and technical analysis from our experts."

"Very good," Joseph bit his pipe, his voice revealing a complex emotion, "Beria will contact your people through our channels in Vienna."

"Remember, Howell, this is not a covenant, it's just... an exchange of information."

“If I discover any deception, the consequences will be severe.”

"I fully understand, Comrade Joseph. This cooperation will be completely honest, in the interests of both of us."

Howell had a triumphant smile on his face.

Even though he knew that Joseph couldn't see it on the other end of the phone...

……

A week later.

The atmosphere in the Kremlin's special meeting room was solemn.

The lights were dim, heavy curtains blocked out the view of the outside world, and only the bluish-white light from the projector illuminated the room.

Joseph sat in a high-backed chair at the end of the long table, his face gloomy under his thick beard.

His eyes were fixed on the projection screen on the wall, where a videotape secretly provided by the American spies was playing.

In the video, a strangely shaped silver aircraft flew through the clouds at incredible speed, easily dodging six missiles, and then dived and shot down two F-15 fighter jets.

The whole process takes less than thirty seconds; it is simple, brutal and efficient.

Joseph pressed the remote control, and the picture froze on the front silhouette of the fighter jet code-named "J-20".

It was not the sleek, streamlined shape of a conventional fighter jet, but rather composed of multiple planes and sharp angles, looking like some kind of future predator.

"Everyone," he said in a low, hoarse voice, "after watching this video, what do you think?"

Sitting around the conference table were Russia's top military generals and Politburo members.

After a brief silence, Defense Minister Bulganin spoke first.

"Comrades, I suspect this is a trick by the Eagle Sauce."

"They may have used movie special effects or models to create this advanced fighter illusion in order to sow discord between us and the Dragon Nation."

Typical of Bulganin, always choosing the safest position.

Joseph sneered in his heart, but remained expressionless.

“I disagree,”

The commander of the Russian Air Force, Novikov, interrupted, tapping the table with an expression of unconcealable worry on his face.

"Our technical experts have analysed the footage and found no signs of editing or fabrication."

"The fighter's maneuverability and stealth characteristics far exceeded our imagination."

“If China does indeed master this technology, we must reassess the balance of power across Asia.”

Joseph's eyes flickered between the two of them, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the arms of his chair.

Here’s the thing: believe it or not, every choice has risks.

Foreign Minister Molotov cleared his throat.

"From an ideological point of view, we should not be worried about the progress of our brother countries on the Red Front."

"The strength of Dragon Nation is the strength of the entire Red Front camp."

"Nice theory, Comrade Molotov,"

Beria sneered.

"But when their supersonic stealth fighters fly over Siberia, do you still think so?"

"Don't forget how long our border is in the east and how many troops are stationed there."

Molotov's face flushed crimson.

"Comrade Beria, what are you implying? Dragon Country is our most important ally!"

"They just beat those damn capitalist pigs on the Peninsula..."

“Allies? Yes, yes!”

Belia grinned, revealing his yellow teeth.

"During the Tsarist era, the Dragon Kingdom was also our 'ally'."

“And then we took over a large swath of territory that they claimed. Do you think they’ll forget that?”

"The aircraft models of the Dragon people have always been very good..."