Chapter One: Crisis of Destruction

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In the twenty-fifth century, yet another world war erupted, plunging the global order into utter chaos.

Led by Nation M, the developed countries sought to realize their imperialist ambitions of world domination through force, forming the Imperial Alliance. They repeatedly intervened in the cabinets of developing, war-torn nations, secretly supporting their own factions, spreading imperialist ideology, buying off the populace with money, and planting their own agents in the upper echelons of unstable countries, gradually dividing and occupying foreign lands.

As time passed, more and more countries fell prey to the imperialist powers—divided, brainwashed, and occupied—until most of the world map had been stained a single color.

Sensing the looming crisis, several developing nations grew wary. Their leaders held secret meetings and united to form the Free Alliance, pledging to share resources, technology, and scientific advancements, supporting one another in solidarity to resist the ruthless aggression of the imperialist states.

Meanwhile, in a secret meeting room at the Imperial Alliance’s Supreme Military Command, a scheme was underway.

“Report, Leader: five newly developed S-bombs have been successfully smuggled into five cities in the Free Alliance countries, with covert assistance from within Nation F. At your command, they can be detonated at any moment,” announced a senior general, standing in the center of the room and gazing at the images of the Allied leaders reflected in the surrounding dozen mirrors.

“How are the negotiations going, General Smith?” asked the elderly man in the center, dressed in uniform, his body still upright and vigorous despite his apparent age.

“The Free Alliance has refused our overtures,” General Smith replied, shaking his head.

“Begin the countdown. Detonate the S-bombs in twenty-four hours,” the old man commanded, closing his eyes with a cold sneer.

“Yes, sir.” General Smith accepted the order.

…

Within the Free Alliance Supreme Command, a banquet was underway in celebration of their united rejection of the Imperial Alliance’s demands and the successful repulsion of their armies. The leaders of the fifteen member nations gathered in the high-level officers’ dining hall.

“Please, everyone, help yourselves. Order whatever you like—the finest dishes from every nation are available,” smiled the black-haired middle-aged man in traditional attire seated at the center of the round table, his every gesture exuding authority.

He took the initiative, picking up the red menu and swiping through it to order several dishes before passing it on.

About five minutes later, the section in front of him automatically lowered and, when it rose again, his selected dishes had appeared.

Within ten minutes, the favorite meals of each leader were set before them.

The man in traditional dress gently raised his glass of red wine.

The other leaders followed suit, setting aside their utensils and lifting their glasses.

“Today, we are gathered here in the name of freedom. Let us toast—to liberty and the sovereignty of our nations.”

He drank first, and the others, some quickly, some more slowly, followed suit.

When all had finished, they placed their empty glasses in the designated slots. Sensing the change in weight, the slots descended and half a minute later, fresh glasses of wine rose back up.

In this brief moment of peaceful dining, the leaders chatted amicably, exchanging pleasantries in a harmonious atmosphere.

Suddenly, the harmony was broken by the sound of synchronized yet abrupt footsteps.

The doors swung open and five soldiers entered.

“Reporting, sirs!” the lead soldier saluted each leader in turn.

“Li Tianlong, what is it? Can’t you see we’re in the middle of a meal?” the man in traditional attire frowned.

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“Sir, we have intercepted an encrypted transmission from the Imperial Army: with internal collusion, Nation F’s leader and the Imperial Army have smuggled five S-bombs onto Free Alliance territory,” Li Tianlong reported loudly, his military discipline evident.

“What!”

An uproar erupted at the table.

One leader’s face turned deathly pale in an instant.

“Frank, what is the meaning of this?” The man in traditional attire looked to the leader of Nation F.

The other thirteen leaders turned to Frank as well.

“The Imperial Alliance promised not to invade Nation F, and to fund its development into a first-world country,” admitted Nation F’s leader, realizing there was no point in further concealment.

“Take him away and interrogate him thoroughly,” the man in traditional attire ordered coldly.

The Free Alliance had signed a mutual cooperation treaty: once a nation joined, it could not back out. Any breach or betrayal by one member gave the others the right to sanction it—after all, the security of every member was at stake.

The sudden news put an abrupt end to the previously harmonious banquet.

After consulting the leaders, the man in traditional attire picked up his black phone and pressed a few buttons. The dining table sank into the floor, replaced by a black conference table. The entire room transformed—the walls rolled back to reveal regional battle maps, electronic sand tables, and advanced computers rising into view.

Were it not for the lingering aroma of food, no one would believe this dining hall could become a war room in just three minutes.

“Li Tianlong, report the details,” the man in traditional attire said evenly.

“According to our intercepted intelligence, these five S-bombs are the latest Allied weapons, with the power to obliterate an area of one hundred square kilometers—a medium-sized city,” Li Tianlong reported gravely.

“Where are the S-bombs now?” the leader of Nation E asked anxiously.

“We do not know for certain, but I believe Frank has the details,” Li Tianlong replied.

“Accelerate the interrogation,” ordered the man in traditional attire.

“Yes, sir.” Li Tianlong raised his left hand and pressed a few buttons on his wrist device, relaying the order.

Half an hour later, Li Tianlong switched on the display at the center of the table, transferring the information from his watch to the screen: five cities, five countries, each marked with a red circle.

Apart from the man in traditional attire, the faces of the other four affected leaders grew grim.

“Send in experts and special forces at once—do everything possible to prevent detonation of the S-bombs,” the man in traditional attire commanded calmly.

“Yes, sir.” Li Tianlong departed to carry out the order.

“Brother Kim Jun, you’re well-versed in international geography. Tell us why they chose these five cities,” the man in traditional attire turned to the leader of Nation H.

“The first location: Nation Z, Dragon City. In the twenty-first century, this was a national scenic area, renowned for the legendary Fruit Mountain from our country’s mythology. The park spanned 12.8 square kilometers, with planned development up to 110 square kilometers; 136 peaks, including Jade Maiden Peak, the highest at 624.4 meters above sea level. Its rich cultural heritage and stunning scenery attracted countless visitors. The ancient trees and historic sites were many; 136 in all, many linked to Journey to the West, prompting the authorities to invest heavily in conservation. Fruit Mountain was once hailed as a paradise of perpetual spring and endless fruit,” Kim Jun explained, referencing data he’d collected on his tablet.

“Get to the point,” the man in traditional attire interjected, raising an eyebrow, impressed by Kim Jun’s knowledge of centuries-old geography.

“A century ago, due to natural erosion, Fruit Mountain became a plain. The ancient trees were buried, but this created unique climate and environmental conditions, rich underground resources, and great potential for urban development. The location was ideal for transport, so the government built a new city—Dragon City. It’s now a major hub between our country and Nation Z, as well as the site of our joint military research base, housing many critical projects. If Dragon City falls, cooperation between Nation H and Nation Z will suffer a devastating blow,” Kim Jun concluded, visibly moved.

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“The second site: Nation E, Mirage City, lies on the border with Nation D. Many joint ventures are based there. If it’s destroyed…”

“…”

Five cities in five countries, yet the fates of all fifteen Free Alliance members were intertwined. The destruction of these cities would inflict a grievous wound on the Alliance.

As Kim Jun finished his analysis, the room fell silent—until Li Tianlong returned.

“Well?” the leader of Nation D asked anxiously.

“No good. All five S-bombs are fitted with encrypted devices and complex programs. Cracking them would take at least three days, but according to Frank, we have no more than twenty-four hours before they’re detonated,” Li Tianlong reported gravely.

“Can’t you speed it up?” Kim Jun pressed.

“No. The S-bomb encryption is extremely sophisticated, with multiple layers of protection. One wrong command and they’ll explode prematurely,” Li Tianlong shook his head.

“Then what? Are we to watch our cities be destroyed?” the leader of Nation K slammed the table, his face ashen.

“Sirs, I recommend evacuating the civilians in these cities. Twenty-four hours should be enough,” Li Tianlong suggested.

“No—we can’t abandon the homes of so many,” the leader of Nation E refused.

“So you’d have them wait for death?” Li Tianlong retorted.

“You…”

…

“Activate Plan C. Use the secret weapon to transfer the S-bombs to another time and place where no one will be harmed,” the man in traditional attire said quietly after listening to all sides.

“But the temporal transporter hasn’t been perfected—it’s still experimental. Using it now would expose its existence,” Li Tianlong objected.

“The last test report is in. It shows that, except for living things, other objects can be transferred. Nothing is more important than home. If we can’t protect that, why are we even sitting here?” The man in traditional attire tapped on his computer, pulling up a file.

“Yes, we still have this.”

“Phew…”

Relief washed over the leaders as they saw the document.

The time machine—a secret project developed by all fifteen nations—was their last resort. If modern warfare could not save them, they would go back in time and strangle imperialism in its cradle.

The final vote was unanimous: fourteen votes in favor of deploying the secret weapon ahead of schedule.

In the Free Alliance’s secret research base, Li Tianlong stood at a distance, watching as dozens of experts prepared to activate the weapon.

“Input the precise coordinates of the S-bombs. Begin satellite lock.”