MMB Chapter 1439 Sovereign Actions
Chapter 1439 Sovereign Actions
"Listen up, American soldiers in the base!"
The amplified sound from the loudspeaker, with a deliberate, almost rigid clarity and harshness, abruptly pierced the oppressive afternoon air. The sound penetrated the rusty barbed wire surrounding the base, passed over the makeshift sandbag fortifications, and resonated clearly in every corner of the camp.
"This is the territory of the Peacock Kingdom. According to our sovereignty and laws, we no longer need or allow any foreign troops to be stationed here. We hereby formally notify you to immediately pack up your equipment and personnel and withdraw from our territory unconditionally within 24 hours. This is an ultimatum. If you fail to withdraw by the deadline, our armed forces will have the right to take all necessary measures, including the use of force, to expel you. Again, you have only one day."
The broadcast has stopped.
In the barracks, whether they were wiping machine guns, refueling pickup trucks, or lazily sunbathing against the wall, all the American soldiers were stunned. Their expressions froze in a mixture of astonishment and bewilderment, their movements stiffening on the spot. Even in the barracks toilet, a man squatting on the toilet, having just finished his "main task" and with his fingers already touching the toilet paper roll, seemed to freeze instantly, his finger hovering in mid-air, his face filled with an absurd sense of "Am I hallucinating?"
After a few seconds of deathly silence, the first incredulous, drawn-out laugh erupted: "Ha—?!"
Immediately afterwards, a flood of reactions arose.
"Who's joking? Is it April Fool's Day?" A sergeant wearing sunglasses took off his glasses and picked at his ear.
"Peacock Country? These guys who can't even hold a gun properly are telling us to get lost?" Another burly man with tattoos all over his arms seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world, laughing so hard he was doubled over, patting his companion on the shoulder.
"F**k me, did they all drink Ganges water and ruin their brains?" Someone made an exaggerated throat-slitting gesture in the direction of the broadcast.
Suspicion, contempt, and utter absurdity were the first reactions of most soldiers. For a long time, they had been stationed here, enjoying privileges that transcended the law, treating this land as their own backyard, and taking the Peacock Kingdom's military's submissive, even slightly obsequious, cooperation for granted. This condescending mentality was ingrained in their bones. To them, the "expulsion notice" was like sheep in a pen suddenly standing up, banging their hooves against the fence, ordering the wolves to leave.
"Go! Report to Lieutenant Colonel Anderson immediately!" A quick-thinking sergeant major, his smile vanishing, roared at the private beside him, "Tell him... tell him that those lunatics from Peacock Country are probably suffering from heatstroke, spouting nonsense on the radio! Ask him if he wants to go out and 'get some exercise,' to wake these ignorant fools up!"
Meanwhile, near the camp gate, several hot-tempered soldiers, feeling their authority had been severely challenged, could no longer contain themselves. They grabbed their rifles leaning against the wall, cursing—though unloaded, their posture itself was intimidating—and stormed through the unlocked side gate of the camp, charging straight out.
Not far from the gate, two jeeps painted in the olive green camouflage of the Peacock Kingdom army were parked, with about a squad of Peacock Kingdom soldiers standing beside them. They were fully armed, their bulletproof vests neatly worn, their expressions tense beneath their helmets, their fingers seemingly casually resting on the trigger guards, yet their postures revealed obvious vigilance. A megaphone was still mounted on the hood of the lead vehicle.
About seven or eight American soldiers rushed out, led by a burly sergeant. He strode up to the Peacock soldier, spitting almost in his face, and roared in English, a cacophony of slang and insults:
"Which son of a bitch just farted like that?! Where's your boss?! Tell him to get over here right now! No, crawl over here! Kneel down and explain to Lieutenant Colonel Anderson what the hell happened! And then have your stupid, pig-like prime minister come and apologize in person! Immediately! Right now!"
Faced with the overwhelming rage and insults, the Peacock Kingdom soldiers remained silent.
Their lips were pressed tightly together, their eyes filled with tension, a hint of barely perceptible humiliation, but above all, a resolute determination to carry out orders. The air seemed to freeze, save for the heavy breathing of the American soldiers and the faint commotion from the distant camp.
After about ten seconds, a young officer wearing the rank of second lieutenant in the Peacock Kingdom's ranks took a small half-step forward. His English was accented but clear, and his speech was steady, even overly so, as if he were reciting a proclamation: "I apologize, sir. Our commander-in-chief is dealing with urgent military affairs and is unable to come. Our mission is simply to convey the official notification from our government. Please comply with the notification and complete your evacuation preparations and leave within twenty-four hours. Any consequences of failure to do so will be borne by your own side."
A definite answer. It's not a misunderstanding, it's not a joke.
The American sergeant's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red, his eyes widening in disbelief. He seemed unable to comprehend how these usually submissive "servants" could suddenly speak to him in such a straightforward, even somewhat "notifying" tone.
"Bastards! Do you even know who you're talking to? I'm giving you one minute, no, thirty seconds! Get out of my sight right now! Go back to your doghouses! And then, have your commander-in-chief come here with the prettiest girl you can find to apologize! Otherwise, I swear to God, you'll pay an unimaginable price! Your barracks, your lousy base, will regret hearing that damn broadcast today!"
He held his head high, chin raised, and looked down at the other person with a gaze that was a mixture of anger, superiority, and unquestionable arrogance.
However, the scene he had envisioned—the other party hastily retreating and repeatedly apologizing—did not occur.
The Peacock Kingdom lieutenant simply watched him silently, his eyes showing neither fear nor anger, only an almost indifferent calm. This calmness, more so than any vehement rebuttal, made the American sergeant feel inexplicably uneasy and intensified his anger.
At this tense standoff moment—
"boom--!"
A deep, resounding bang came out of nowhere from inside the American camp behind them, or more precisely, from the sky above the camp!
Everyone, whether they were the Peacock Kingdom soldiers outside the gate or the American soldiers who rushed out to demand an explanation, were all startled and turned their heads sharply towards the camp.
About 100 meters above the main building and helipad of the camp, a cloud of grayish-black smoke was rapidly expanding and spreading. The sound of the explosion was not particularly earth-shattering; it was more like the sound of some kind of large-caliber training shell or warning artillery shell detonating at a specific altitude in the air.
But the rising smoke, the acrid smell of gunpowder, and the location of the explosion—almost right above the camp's most important facilities—were all too clear in their symbolism and provocation.
This was not a stray bullet, nor was it an accident. It was a precise and cautionary "reminder."
"WTF!!!" The American soldiers who rushed out almost simultaneously cursed, their anger instantly replaced by astonishment and a hint of panic. They instinctively raised their guns, but stopped halfway, looking around blankly, as if trying to figure out where the shelling was coming from.
The Peacock Kingdom lieutenant outside the door seemed to slightly shift the calm mask on his face. He clearly hadn't anticipated the shelling, but it didn't disrupt his rhythm. He took a deep breath and spoke again in that steady tone, this time with an inexplicable confidence:
"As you can see, this is a final friendly reminder. Please comply with this notice and begin the evacuation process immediately. Twenty-four hours later, any unauthorized foreign military personnel and equipment remaining here will be considered an illegal intrusion and military occupation of our territory, and we reserve the right to take all necessary measures to remove them. You are no longer welcome here, and you will no longer have any privileges. Please leave as soon as possible."
“Son of a b**ch…” the leading sergeant gritted his teeth, but his rage was replaced by a more complex emotion—surprise and uncertainty. The enemy's attitude was far more aggressive than he had imagined, and they had even dared to fire warning shots (even if they were non-lethal). Their troop presence here was limited, primarily serving as a strategic deterrent and intelligence hub; a complete breakdown in relations and armed conflict with the locals was far from the best course of action. More importantly, he couldn't understand what had given these usually restrained “rabbits” the audacity to suddenly bare their claws at the “bald eagle.”
The situation had developed far beyond what he, at his level, could understand or handle.
"Fine...very good!" The sergeant gritted his teeth, glaring fiercely at the Peacock Kingdom lieutenant, his finger almost touching the lieutenant's chest. "You'll remember every word you said today! You'll all pay the price! Just you wait!"
He threw out those words with bluster, but his heart was filled with fear. Without lingering, he waved his hand, and with his men, who were equally shocked and angry but dared not make a move, he turned around and ran back to the camp, slamming the side door shut behind him.
Once back inside the relatively safe camp, the sergeant immediately sprinted towards the command post, practically ramming the door open. Inside, Lieutenant Colonel Anderson frowned as he examined the map, clearly having also heard the explosion and the commotion outside.
"Sir! Outside... the Peacock Kingdom people have gone mad! They not only broadcasted an expulsion order against us, but also... they even fired warning artillery over our camp! Their attitude is extremely tough, demanding that we all get out of here within 24 hours!" the sergeant reported breathlessly.
Lieutenant Colonel Anderson whirled around, his face equally filled with disbelief: "Are you sure it was artillery fire? Targeting our camp?"
"Confirmed! The smoke is still rising in the sky! Their men are right at the door, admitting it was a 'warning'! Sir, something's not right! They must have received some kind of support we don't know about!"
Lieutenant Colonel Anderson's face darkened. He strode to the communications station and grabbed the secure phone that connected directly to senior commanders back home. The nature of the situation had changed; this was no longer a simple skirmish or provocation.
"Emergency hotline! Immediately!"
Beautiful Country, Command Headquarters.
In a tense meeting room filled with smoke, the atmosphere was heavy. Having just experienced the setback of the unexpected collapse of the "Anti-Yan Kingdom Alliance," the top leaders were urgently discussing how to deal with Yan Kingdom's growing influence and a series of diplomatic setbacks.
Just then, a senior staff officer walked in quickly with a nervous expression, leaned down and whispered a few words in the Minister of Defense's ear.
The minister's tightly furrowed brows suddenly widened, a flicker of surprise crossing his face before turning into barely suppressed rage: "What?! Say that again? The Peacock Kingdom? They dare to fire warning shots at our troops? To expel us? Has the information been verified?!"
"Lieutenant Colonel Anderson reports urgently from the front lines: we have confirmed a warning shelling attack. The enemy is taking a hard line and has given us 24 hours to evacuate. At the same time... we have just received another urgent telegram: our garrison base in Goguryeo has also received almost the exact same ultimatum! The Goguryeo military is also demanding that we evacuate within one day!"
"F**k!" The Defense Minister slammed his fist on the heavy oak conference table, making the cups rattle. "Did they plan this? A collective rebellion?! Who gave them the guts? Was it Yan Country? Did that Liang Jingru give them the courage?!"
The meeting room erupted in uproar. Having just lost a crucial strategic alliance, and now with troops being publicly expelled from two key regions simultaneously, this was adding insult to injury and a blatant challenge to America's global authority!
"Immediately connect me to the hotlines of the Ministries of National Defense of the Republic of China and the Republic of Korea! No, first send me a formal diplomatic note! In the strongest terms! Warn them to immediately withdraw their illegal notification, apologize to us, compensate for all losses, and severely punish the perpetrators! Otherwise, they will face all serious consequences, including military action! Have our aircraft carrier battle group adjust its course and move closer to the relevant waters! I want them to know what the price is for provoking the United States!" The minister practically roared as he gave the order.