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

Inside the Kremlin, Joseph's office was brightly lit, even though the clocks in Moscow had already struck midnight.

The heavy red velvet curtains were closed, keeping out the night and the cold wind. The room was filled with a strong smell of tobacco and a tense atmosphere.

Joseph stood in front of a huge world map, tapping the border of the Far East with his thick fingers, his brows furrowed, his eyes flashing with anger and determination.

"These numbers must be fake!" He punched the map with such force that it shook slightly. "It's impossible for the Dragon Kingdom to defeat 30,000 North Vietnamese troops with only a loss of less than a hundred people! This completely violates the laws of war!"

Joseph had just finished a call with Howell, and his anger had not diminished at all.

It's ridiculous that that coward Howell actually proposed to suspend military operations against Longguo!

In Joseph's opinion, Longguo simply took advantage of the sneak attack and the North Vietnamese army was already undertrained, so they managed to achieve this victory by chance.

"Convene a military council, immediately!"

Joseph shouted at the guard outside the door, then turned to Karpov who was waiting on the side.

"Put Marshal Markov of the Far Eastern Military District on the line."

Karpov quickly carried out the order, and a few minutes later, the communication line of the Far Eastern Military District Command was connected, and the voice of Marshal Markov came from the loudspeaker.

"Comrade Joseph, the Far Eastern Military District is at your disposal at any time."

"Markov," Joseph's voice was low and full of majesty, "How is the First Far Eastern Army prepared?"

"Report to the General Secretary, the First Far Eastern Army has completed its pre-war preparations. Three armored divisions, five mechanized infantry divisions, and two artillery divisions have been deployed. The total number of tanks has reached 1200, with 2000 artillery pieces of various types and a total of 15 troops."

Markov's voice was full of confidence.

"According to the 'Polar Bear's Claw' operation plan, we can cross the border at any time and occupy the important cities in the northeast of Longguo within 72 hours."

Joseph nodded with satisfaction. "Very good. Pass on my order. From today on, the First Far Eastern Army will enter the highest state of combat readiness. Be prepared to launch an offensive within three days."

After a brief silence on the other end of the line, Markov asked cautiously.

"General Secretary, please allow me to confirm whether the original plan needs to be adjusted?"

"According to the previous plan, we should wait for North Vietnam to launch an attack first, and then we will attack from the north, forming a pincer attack from both the north and the south."

"The plan has changed!" Joseph shouted, a cold glint in his eyes. "North Vietnam has already failed. Those incompetent guys were defeated by the Dragon Special Forces before they could even launch a decent attack."

"Now we must act independently and teach the Dragon Nation a painful lesson!"

Markov's voice grew serious. "Comrade Joseph, with all due respect, the military capabilities demonstrated by the Dragon Kingdom in its operations against North Vietnam are worrying."

"They seem to have mastered some advanced combat concepts and technical equipment. I think we should conduct more thorough intelligence collection and analysis, and then—"

"Enough!" Joseph interrupted him abruptly. "Are you questioning the strength of our army? How can those ragtag North Vietnamese be compared with our great Soviet army?"

"The Dragon Nation is just showing off in front of a bunch of peasants! What are their tricks compared to our iron torrent?"

Markov wisely chose to remain silent. Years of experience had taught him that when Joseph was in such a mood, any objection could lead to serious consequences.

“Please believe me, General Secretary,” Markov finally responded cautiously, “The Russians will live up to your expectations. We will immediately complete the final preparations for the war.”

After the call, members of the Soviet Union’s Supreme Military Command quickly gathered in the Kremlin’s military conference hall.

More than a dozen marshals and generals sat around a long table, each with a folder marked "Top Secret" in front of them.

"Comrades," Joseph said, standing at the main seat, his voice low and powerful, "The provocative behavior of the Dragon Nation has exceeded our tolerance limit."

"Not only do they reject our legitimate requests for technology sharing, they are also creating trouble on the southern border and attacking our allies. Now is the time for us to show the power of the Russian bear!"

The atmosphere in the conference room was tense and solemn. Although no one dared to openly question Joseph's decision, some experienced generals showed obvious concern in their eyes.

Commander Bogdanov adjusted his sitting position slightly and spoke after hesitating for a moment.

"Comrade General Secretary, should we consider the Dragon Nation's recent advancements in military technology?"

"According to intelligence, they have successfully developed stealth fighters, electromagnetic jamming systems, and advanced command and control networks."

Joseph sneered: "Those so-called 'advanced weapons' are nothing but empty talk, a gimmick used by the Dragon Nation to scare smaller nations. We have a real advantage in numbers and battlefield experience. Remember, this is a war of scale, not a technological display!"

Most members of the Military Commission chose to silently agree.

Years of the Great Purge had taught them that it was wise to align themselves with Joseph.

Only a few marshals and generals exchanged a meaningful look, but soon returned to their expressionless expressions.

Joseph picked up a red pencil and drew a thick line on the map along the northern border of Dragon Country. "Our main attack direction is here—breaking through from Transbaikal and heading straight for Harbin."

"The second assault group departed from Vladivostok, targeting Dalyan. A supporting attack was launched from Menggu, attracting the defense forces in the northwest of Longguo."

His pencil drew several sharp arrows on the map, as if he could already see the Red Army tanks rolling over the territory of Dragon Country.

"Operation codename changed to 'Iron Storm'. Preparations must be completed within seventy-two hours. I will personally issue the specific attack time."

After the meeting, Joseph recalled Karpov.

"Notify all border intelligence stations to strengthen monitoring of Dragon Nation's military movements. I want to know their every move. Also, prepare a detailed report on that 'Fang Yu'."

“I want to know everything about this guy – his background, his skills, his weaknesses, and especially all the weapons systems he was involved in developing.”

Karpov nodded in agreement, but still hesitated. "Comrade General Secretary, if the intelligence is true, Longguo has mastered some advanced battlefield intelligence system. Our conventional reconnaissance methods may be discovered..."

"Then use unconventional means!" Joseph interrupted him impatiently, "Activate the 'Korchin' plan and mobilize all dormant agents. If necessary, you can use the 'special resources' of the Ninth Bureau."

Karpov's pupils shrank slightly when he heard this.

The Ninth Bureau is responsible for top-secret paranormal research and is the most mysterious department of the KGB.

Mobilizing "special resources" means that Joseph is determined to obtain intelligence at all costs.

"As you wish, General Secretary," Karpov whispered, then turned and left.

Joseph stood alone at the window, looking at the night view of Moscow outside the Kremlin.

In his eyes, Longguo is nothing more than a traitor who needs to be taught a lesson, a country that is ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth and dares to challenge the authority of the Russian bear.

No matter what advanced technology the mysterious "Fang Yu" has, it will be wiped out in the face of the Soviet Union's steel torrent.

"Let them see real war," Joseph whispered, slamming his pipe down on the table. "Let them see the power of the world's number one military power."