Chapter Four: The Strategy Unfolds—The World as a Chessboard

"No problem!"

"Go ahead, what do you need your father to help with?"

Because of their ideological differences, the relationship between Renfang Chu and Xiao Chu had always been tense. It was rare to see Xiao Chu earnestly asking for his help for the first time, so Renfang Chu immediately nodded, expressing his full support.

"It’s not the time to ask for your help yet."

It wasn’t that Xiao Chu was deliberately being secretive; it truly wasn’t the right moment to make things clear to Renfang Chu.

After saying this, Xiao Chu turned to look at his elegant mother and continued, "Mom, your company mainly deals with import and export trade. Let me give you an example: if Jiuzhou were to cut off all foreign trade and become entirely self-sufficient, how long could we last?"

"Three years." Although she didn’t know why her son would ask such a strange question, Lihua Qin still answered truthfully. "Son, do you know what Western countries call Jiuzhou?"

"A great agricultural nation! An industrial powerhouse!"

"Let’s put it this way: even if we stopped all food production right now, the country’s reserves are enough to feed everyone for three years. As for other chemicals, daily necessities, instruments, and supplies, we’re entirely capable of self-sufficiency."

"Jiuzhou is vast and rich in resources, especially mineral wealth. That’s something other countries simply can’t match."

After a moment’s hesitation, Lihua Qin couldn’t help but ask, "Son, what exactly are you planning?"

Three years of self-sufficiency?

Xiao Chu did not answer his mother’s question. Instead, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

That evening, after hastily eating a few bites, Xiao Chu rejected his parents’ attempts to talk and locked himself in his room.

Click.

He lit a cigarette, letting the nicotine swirl in his lungs, and closed his eyes in satisfaction.

Now that he had made up his mind, the next step was crucial: he had to find a way to contact Number One.

Through his father?

Unrealistic. Renfang Chu’s influence, though not insignificant, was limited to Mingzhu City. Hoping to meet the top leader with just his father’s help was nearly impossible.

Besides, with something as apocalyptic as the Lord of the Underworld awakening and wiping out humanity, if Xiao Chu tried to explain it with nothing but his word, not to mention Number One, even Renfang Chu probably wouldn’t believe him.

So, how could he possibly get in touch with Number One?

To not only reach him but also convince him, and then mobilize the entire nation into massive production—such a feat would be a pipe dream for any ordinary person.

Should he try the media?

Spread the word online?

Or go sit in protest in front of the city gate?

Impossible. No sane person would believe Xiao Chu.

Feeling a headache coming on, Xiao Chu rubbed his temples and casually opened his computer.

If it wasn’t realistic to seek out Number One directly, then he would make Number One come to him.

The date was December 8th. The prophecy was for December 9th.

Though contact details for certain top officials were closely guarded secrets in times of peace, after the Lord of the Underworld’s awakening, such information was no longer secret. In fact, every citizen of Jiuzhou was required to memorize these numbers and report any abnormal situations immediately.

Drafting emails:

[To: General Wang Tao of the Military—On December 9th at 1:08 PM, an American warship will intrude into the South China Sea and will be driven off by our 388 and 163 warships at 1:15 PM.]

[To: Director Song Huiming of the Seismological Bureau—On December 9th at 10:37 AM, a 4.6 magnitude earthquake will strike Mount Gazi in our Northwest Province, with tremors lasting 1 minute and 18 seconds.]

[To: Minister Qi Tianli of the Ministry of Commerce—On December 9th at 11:54 AM, the international oil price will rise slightly by 0.2 points, with crude oil futures increasing by $9 per barrel.]

[To: Minister Li Lichen of the Astronomical Department—On December 9th at 11:11:39 PM, an asteroid named Lairton will brush past Earth at a speed of 89,000 km/h.]

The fifth...

The sixth...

After sending a full twenty emails in one go, Xiao Chu was finally exhausted. He closed his laptop and fell into a deep sleep.

The bait had been cast; whether they would bite was up to those big shots.

This, for now, was the best way Xiao Chu could think of to meet Number One.

December 9th, 10:10 AM, Seismological Bureau.

Having just finished the morning briefing, Song Huiming slipped into the canteen for breakfast.

Taking out his mobile phone, he habitually opened his work email—even during meals, he made sure to work.

There were three emails:

1. Report on National Earthquake Prevention Work for Next Year

2. Director Song’s Schedule for December 9th

3. An Astounding Prophecy from a So-Called Seer

He glanced over the first two and closed them, but the third email piqued his curiosity.

This was his official work email; advertisements shouldn’t even reach this inbox.

Driven by curiosity, Song Huiming opened the third email.

Content: At 10:37 AM on December 9th, a 4.6 magnitude earthquake will strike Mount Gazi in our Northwest Province, with tremors lasting 1 minute and 18 seconds.

Note: If the prediction is accurate, please contact: 138XXXXXXXXX, General Wang Tao of the Military. 159XXXXXXXXXXXX, Minister Qi Tianli of Commerce. 137XXXXXXXXXXXX, Minister Li Lichen of the Astronomical Department.

And so on—a list of more than twenty phone numbers.

Ridiculous.

A 4.6 magnitude earthquake—tremors like that are impossible to predict in advance, even for the Seismological Bureau. What makes this so-called prophet think he can boast so wildly?

And what was the point of leaving all these contacts? They had absolutely nothing to do with one another.

He casually tossed the email into the trash bin, finished his porridge in one gulp, and returned to his office.

Sitting down, Song Huiming glanced instinctively at the clock on the wall: 10:38.

It was already one minute past the time in the so-called prophecy.

He hesitated, then contacted the head of the Northwest Province’s earthquake monitoring team.

“Director Song, you really are impressive! We just detected a 4.6 magnitude tremor from the direction of Mount Gazi, and you already predicted it?”

On the other end, the team leader’s voice was full of astonishment.

Click!

Buzz... buzz...

Without answering, the moment those words fell, Song Huiming’s expression changed completely.

Almost frantically, he reopened his phone and retrieved the email he had just discarded.

Without thinking, Song Huiming dialed the first number listed—General Wang Tao of the Military.