You were tasked with guarding the Sihang Warehouse, and you brought out a Tiger tank?

"Kaya-kun, don't exaggerate."

Army Minister Gen Sugiyama, bracing himself for a rebuttal:

"As long as we can achieve a decisive victory on the battlefield and force the Chinese government to surrender."

"At that time, all the wealth of China will belong to the empire, and the current investment will have been worthwhile."

"A decisive victory?"

He Wuxingxuan sneered, mercilessly tearing away the military's fig leaf:

"Minister Sugiyama, please tell everyone here."

It's been almost a year since the start of the war. How many casualties has the Imperial Army suffered?

The newspapers were reporting the great victory every day, saying that tens of thousands of people had been killed in action.

But the actual data on pension payments held by the cabinet is quite different!

Sugiyama Gen's face stiffened, and he subconsciously glanced at Prince Kan'in Kotohito.

The prince closed his eyes and nodded slightly.

Now that things have come to this, on the eve of the highest-level imperial council meeting, it's no longer possible to keep it a secret.

Sugiyama Gen cleared his throat and announced the actual casualty data, which was classified as "Class A Secret".

"From July last year to now."

The North China battlefield, the Battle of Shanghai, the Battle of Nanjing, and more recently, the battles around Pengcheng and the Jiaodong Campaign.

Imperial Army personnel killed in action, severely wounded or disabled, or permanently incapacitated due to diseases such as cholera.

In total...it has exceeded 90,000 people.

"hiss--"

A collective gasp filled the conference room.

Even the top brass of the navy showed expressions of shock.

Ninety thousand people!

It should be noted that before the full-scale war, Japan's standing army had a total strength of only about 300,000 men.

This is equivalent to wiping out one-third of the pre-war standing army in less than a year.

Most importantly, this only includes those who have permanently lost their combat effectiveness; if those who are injured are included, the number would be much higher.

"We have already conducted three large-scale mobilizations to make up for the manpower shortage."

Sugiyama Gen continued:

"Currently, the Empire has mobilized more than 1.2 million reservists and eligible young men to join the army."

The harsh reality is right in front of us.

Everyone realized that the empire was walking a tightrope over a precipice.

Taking a step back leads to an abyss.

Going further ahead, yet there seems to be no end in sight.

"Gentlemen."

Prince Kan'in finally opened his eyes, his tone revealing boundless madness, like a gambler who had lost everything:

"Heya is right, we can't keep wasting time like this."

Lin Feng's appearance is a huge variable.

He proved that the Chinese still had the ability to resist, and even the ability to fight back.

If we back down at this time, the empire's economy will collapse instantly, and the military's prestige will be completely destroyed.

We will be torn to pieces by the people of our own country.

The prince leaned on his cane, his eyes piercing:

"Gentlemen, do not be discouraged!"

Just like when the Italians invaded Abyssinia.

When industrialized countries fight against agricultural countries, there may be setbacks and setbacks along the way.

But as long as we run our industrial machines to their limits, ultimate victory will surely be ours.

Lin Feng is a major threat, but in the context of the Greater East Asia Strategy, he is only a local problem.

The Chinese mindset, in Jiangcheng.

"Once Jiangcheng is captured, the Chinese government will surrender, and Lin Feng's vast arsenal will become useless."

"What does His Highness mean?" Yonai Mitsumasa asked.

"We can't keep using piecemeal tactics."

Sugiyama Gen took over the conversation and revealed the military's long-planned, insane scheme:

"We must achieve our goal in one fell swoop."

I propose that the National Mobilization Law be formally promulgated and implemented immediately throughout the country.

All of the empire's human, material, and financial resources were brought under wartime control.

Implement resource rationing, freeze prices, and prohibit strikes.

Convert all factories to military production.

We need to mobilize another million people!

They assembled their main forces from land, sea, and air to launch the Battle of Jiangcheng.

"We strive to completely resolve the China issue within this year."

A brief silence fell over the meeting room.

The National Mobilization Law is a powerful remedy.

Once implemented, it would mean that the entire country would be completely transformed into a machine solely dedicated to war.

The lives of the people will be reduced to the bare minimum, and all resources will be squeezed dry.

They won; the empire dominated East Asia.

If you lose, you will be doomed.

"I agree," Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu was the first to speak.

I second that.

I second that.

After a brief hesitation, the military and political officials present all raised their hands.

They had no way out.

Lin Feng's powerful rise in Jiaodong was like a whip, lashing at this exhausted beast and forcing it to unleash its final frenzy.

The Minister of the Interior, Yuasa Kurahira, who had been sitting silently listening to the conversation, stood up.

As the Emperor's representative in the Cabinet, he was responsible for reporting the Cabinet's decisions to the Emperor for a final decision.

"I understand your opinions."

Yuasa Kurahira straightened his clothes and said expressionlessly:

"I will go to the Imperial Palace immediately to report to His Majesty."

After saying that, he turned and walked out of the underground conference room.

In the conference room, everyone remained seated, motionless.

Only the second hand of the wall clock made a monotonous "tick-tock, tick-tock" sound.

Every second of waiting felt incredibly long.

They knew that the next word sent back from the Imperial Palace would determine the life and death of tens of millions of people and the fate of the entire East Asia.

An hour later.

The meeting room door was pushed open again.

Yuasa Kurahira walked in.

In his hands, he held a decree bearing the imperial seal of the Emperor.

All the ministers and princes immediately stood up, their expressions solemn.

Yuasa Kurahira walked to the end of the long table, unfolded the imperial edict, and glanced at everyone.

"His Majesty has reviewed the Cabinet's memorial regarding the implementation of the National Mobilization Law."

Yuasa Kurahira paused for a moment, his voice echoing in the quiet conference room:

"His Majesty's instruction consisted of only one word."

He turned the imperial edict around and showed it to everyone.

At the end of that long memorial, a striking Chinese character was written in vermilion ink.

"Can."

As the word fell.

Japan's massive militaristic state machine has completely torn off its last fig leaf and entered a state of frantic, overloaded operation.

Countless conscription orders were sent to villages and cities across the country like snowflakes.

Countless factories belch black smoke day and night.

Countless family workshops began producing day and night.

An unprecedented mega-battle, involving millions of people, is brewing.

Meanwhile, Lin Feng, far away on the Jiaodong Peninsula, was standing on the city wall of Weifang City, looking out at the vast expanse of green wheat fields.

He had no idea that the flapping of his butterfly wings had forced the entire neon world to embark on an apocalyptic sprint ahead of schedule.