I alone have my own laws; I start by fabricating myths and legends of mountains and seas.

Chapter 135 The Scheme in the Fog City

"The first line of communication is with Xia Jie and the Xia Kingdom." The old man's eyes narrowed slightly. "The Siyiguan (Foreigners' Bureau) line not only must not be broken, but must be strengthened. Through our old friends, send a clearer signal to Tokugawa Koji or the head of the Siyiguan: the British Empire understands and respects the return of ancient civilizations and powers, and is open to the special status of the Xia Kingdom. We can hint that we can provide limited but crucial assistance in areas such as international public opinion, the transfer of specific supplies, and even intelligence sharing, including analysis of the weaknesses of Japanese Shinto talismans, or the subtle attitudes of certain factions within China. The condition is that the Xia Kingdom must guarantee that its expansion in the foreseeable future will not directly conflict with some of our key overseas interests, such as the strait shipping routes or certain resource-rich islands. Remember, contact must be covert, promises must be vague, and costs must be controllable."

"This is making a deal with the devil," the defense chief whispered.

"No," the old man corrected, "this is about setting up a fence around the garden with a dangerous neighbor. At least let him know which patch of lawn will cost him more."

"The second line is China," he continued. "Public statements must stand on the side of the civilized world. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will issue a statement expressing serious concern about the potential security risks of their visit and calling for the resolution of differences through peace and dialogue. The wording must be righteous and awe-inspiring, occupying the moral high ground."

We could propose a small-scale, secret East-West dialogue on extraordinary security, perhaps in a third country. The aim would be to assess common threats and explore non-confrontational response frameworks. Simultaneously, we could casually reveal some of our non-classified assessments of the progress of the Europa magic system as a gesture of goodwill. We possess resources from all over the world; after all, the previous era has left us with ample resources!

"The third line of action: Japan and the Onmyoji Abe Gen." The old man pointed to a diagram of Japan. "After all, they are currently the only force directly resisting Xia Jie, and he didn't mention your Shinto talisman system, which is a technological path we can relatively easily understand and potentially sample. Strengthen private ties with the remaining Japanese government and the Abe family. Express our deep sympathy for the suffering of the Japanese people and our willingness to provide some humanitarian aid. Hint at our strong interest in Shinto talismans; if Japan is willing to share some basic research results or even help our people embark on this path, we can garner more support for them in international forums. Note that this line of action must avoid those idiots in America; their old grudges with Japan run too deep."

"The fourth line of thought is the Vatican's." He finally looked at the Vatican's diagram. "This is a completely new variable: the combination of faith and heroic spirits. Send a sufficiently influential member of the royal family with good relations with the Vatican, or a retired senior bishop, to visit the Vatican under the guise of a personal pilgrimage and exchange. Express our Church's emphasis on the unity of the universal Church and pay tribute to the Vatican's leadership in addressing the challenges of the new era. Proactively inquire whether the nascent system of faith and magic can be combined with certain ancient ritual traditions of the Church of England? Or, at least establish a high-level religious dialogue mechanism to jointly explore ways to maintain the stability of modern civilization. We don't need immediate answers; we just need to plant the seeds and establish a channel of communication."

The intelligence clerk quickly took notes, then looked up: "Very clear, sir. But this requires extremely meticulous operations and multi-threaded intelligence support. Any leak or operational error could put us at a disadvantage in other areas, or even isolate us from all sides."

"Therefore, we need the best executors and the strictest secrecy." The old man nodded. "Remember, we are not seeking immediate allies or direct victories. We are weaving a net, a net that will put us in a favorable position no matter whether the East Wind prevails over the West Wind, or the West Wind prevails over the East Wind, or whether the parties are deadlocked. We may no longer have the gunboats that once covered the globe, but we still possess the most complex and skillful diplomatic maneuvering in the world and the intelligence system most adept at profiting in the gray areas."

He stood up, walked to the window, and slightly pulled back a corner of the curtain, looking at the typical gloomy London sky outside: "Let Europe debate faith and reason, let America flaunt its technology and power. What we need to do is make sure we stay at the table and see the back of every card. The Fog City's strategy has never been about winning a single battle, but about winning the whole war, or at least ensuring we don't lose the future."

On a private ship on the Thames River.

Several gentlemen, who appeared to be leisurely enjoying afternoon tea, were exchanging opinions in hushed tones.

"The tyrant of the East, the mysterious guardian of the East, the yin-yang master of Japan, the pope of Rome and the ancient conquerors—what an interesting game of chess." An elderly man with silver hair and an elegant demeanor took a sip of red tea. "Our role is neither that of a chess player nor a pawn for either side. We are the dealers at the gambling table, or, club managers who provide intelligence and services to all the players."

"Keep a line in Xia Jie's direction, but never tie him down. We need to know what the demon is thinking in the worst-case scenario."

""

"China is offering superficial support in exchange for an opportunity to contact and understand their internal response mechanisms. Whether Zhenwu exists and how it exists is the biggest unknown, as well as the biggest risk and opportunity."

"Over there in Japan, they're trying to acquire practical technologies. Their talismans might be the most actionable supernatural power in the short term."

"The Vatican is investing in the future. If faith can truly become power, it will be the most enduring and fundamental power."

We must secure a position.

Another, slightly younger member frowned: "The risk is that if we waver too much, we might be seen as unreliable speculators by all factions and eventually be squeezed out of the inner circle."

The old man smiled, a smile that carried the composure and shrewdness of someone who had weathered centuries of storms: "My dear friend, what we Great Britain excel at is finding interests in balance. When everyone needs intelligence, needs funding, and needs certain services that only we can provide, we possess irreplaceable value. If they don't have a need, we create one."

He gazed at the misty London sky outside the window and added softly, "Besides, we have our own Arthurian legends and Druid tales. Perhaps one day when our mythology begins to revive, we won't need to go through all this trouble!"

The British Empire, on which the sun never sets, is now in motion! Hedging its bets on multiple fronts and pulling in multiple directions. In the meticulous calculations of the foggy city, there are no permanent enemies or friends, only permanent interests, and the ancient wisdom of how to seize the largest share in this extraordinary global upheaval.

After all, the reputation of Chongqing as a troublemaker is well-deserved. He's always making moves, maintaining ambiguous relationships with various groups and organizations!