I painted an aircraft carrier on the courtyard house for Dongda University.

The moment the order was given, the five nuclear silos on Cigar Island slowly started up. The heavy silo covers opened slowly upwards with a low mechanical roar, revealing the black cannon barrels inside. A suffocating sense of oppression swept in all directions.

The next second, a massive intercontinental ballistic missile slowly rose, its tail suddenly spewing out scorching orange-red flames. Accompanied by a deafening roar, it broke through the nuclear silo, soared into the sky, and then flew straight towards the United States, leaving a blinding trail of fire in its wake.

Ten minutes later, a second intercontinental ballistic missile followed closely behind, its tail blazing with flames. With a devastating force, it broke through the clouds and sped toward Daegu New Land. The two missiles streaked across the sky, heading at full speed toward their respective targets.

Meanwhile, inside the Black House in the United States, laughter and merriment filled the air.

An official, holding the report, laughed so hard he almost fell over, and sneered at his colleague beside him, "Oh God, are you sure today isn't April Fool's Day? Cigar Country? And that ridiculous ASEAN? Those places still embroiled in war dare to say they're going to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile? And simultaneously target our Marshall Islands and Novaya Zemlya, even carrying a 5800-megaton nuclear warhead? Hahaha, this is absolutely hilarious!"

Another official echoed with a loud laugh, his tone full of disdain: "Exactly! It's ridiculous! The Marshall Islands are a full 15000 kilometers from Cigar Island, and Novaya Zemlya is 8500 kilometers away. They don't even have a stable military-industrial complex, how could they possibly carry out such a long-range strike?"

The person in charge waved his hand, his face full of mockery, and casually said, "Fine, fine, let them use our nuclear bomb site! I want to see how they'll launch the missiles to their target location. Let them fire, fire now! This is utterly ridiculous. This adorable ASEAN is just too funny. I've decided, I absolutely must meet this so-called ASEAN person in charge!"

Inside the Black Palace, the crowd continued to laugh and joke, no one taking the test firing seriously, regarding it as nothing more than wishful thinking on the part of the Cigar Kingdom.

Time passed by second by second, and half an hour flew by.

The next second, two earth-shattering explosions resounded almost simultaneously across the world. Two hydrogen bombs, arguably the most powerful and destructive in this time and space, were detonated over the Marshall Islands and New Guinea, respectively, instantly shattering the tranquility of the world.

Above the Marshall Islands, a blinding white light burst forth, far brighter than the sun by millions of times, instantly engulfing the entire island and surrounding waters. Even ships thousands of miles away were blinded by the intense light, their vision completely obscured.

The moment the white light dissipated, a huge mushroom cloud slowly rose up, a black column of clouds shooting straight up to a height of ten thousand meters, its top covered with thick clouds, like the head of a demon, obscuring half the sky.

A powerful shockwave swept wildly outwards from the point of explosion, creating giant waves tens of meters high in its wake. Vegetation and buildings on the island were instantly leveled, rocks were melted into magma by the high temperature, and large amounts of white mist rose from the sea. Ships and marine life in the area were instantly reduced to ashes, leaving only deathly silence.

Meanwhile, the skies over New Guinea were also a scene of purgatory.

The same dazzling white light instantly illuminated the barren island, and the high temperature generated by the hydrogen bomb detonation instantly evaporated the surrounding ice and snow, scorching the earth until it cracked and blackened.

A massive mushroom cloud slowly rose, echoing the one over the Marshall Islands. The shockwave, carrying debris and dust, raged wildly, instantly destroying military facilities and observation stations on the islands. A huge crater was blasted into the ground, and intense heat and radiation swept across the entire area, turning the land into a no-man's land. Even the air became scorching and acrid, filled with the aura of destruction.

The electromagnetic pulse generated by the nuclear explosion spread for thousands of miles, paralyzing all surrounding communication equipment and radar systems. Multiple military terminals of the United States and Canada went black instantly. The original mockery and ridicule were shattered by the sudden disaster, replaced by a deep-seated fear.

The laughter inside the Black Palace had not yet subsided when a backup emergency communicator suddenly emitted a piercing electrical sound, shattering the noise in the hall.

Without a second thought, the operator rushed to connect the line. The receiver crackled with the urgent, hoarse cries of a frontline observer, trembling uncontrollably: "Black House! Urgent report! A strong tremor has been detected 1,000 kilometers from the Marshall Islands, confirmed as a magnitude 5 earthquake! An extremely bright light has suddenly appeared in the sky, impossible to see even from a thousand miles away; a large nuclear explosion is suspected! Is there a pre-planned nuclear test in the Marshall Islands?"

These words were broadcast through the loudspeaker throughout the hall, instantly silencing the laughter. The playful expressions on everyone's faces froze, and the air seemed to solidify.

The official, who had been laughing heartily, froze on the spot. The smile vanished instantly, replaced by a deathly pallor and panic. His voice trembled as he murmured, "A... a magnitude 5 earthquake? The bright light could be seen from a thousand miles away? This is impossible..."

The person in charge snatched the communicator, yelling, "Explain yourself! How long have the vibrations and bright lights lasted? Has any nuclear radiation been detected?"

The static in the receiver grew louder, and the observer's voice was mixed with the sound of violent shaking: "The vibrations are still continuing, the bright light is gradually weakening, but we can see a giant black column of light rising into the sky! Nuclear radiation levels are skyrocketing, confirming a super-powerful nuclear explosion! It's definitely not the power of a conventional nuclear test!"

The communication abruptly cut off, leaving only the piercing crackling of static echoing through the hall. The communicator in the person in charge slammed to the ground with a thud. He staggered back two steps, his legs weak, nearly collapsing, his face filled with extreme terror and regret: "It was ASEAN...it was their missile! They really did have a 5800-megaton yield, and they actually hit the Marshall Islands!"

Chaos erupted instantly in the hall. The officials were completely flustered, their usual arrogance and composure vanished.

Some slumped in their chairs, their faces ashen; others frantically grabbed communication equipment, trying to contact other observation points; still others roared to activate the highest level of defense, their voices filled with despair: "It's over! How could this be? How could this be in such a desolate place? This is a nuclear deterrent capable of destroying our country!"

What were once mocking words now felt like slaps to their own faces, and a deep-seated fear gripped everyone.

Meanwhile, inside the Red Alert Space Command Center, holographic projections were transmitting real-time footage of the nuclear explosions in the Marshall Islands and Novaya Zemlya. Black mushroom clouds were clearly visible on the screen, and radiation levels and the extent of the shockwave were constantly updating. Short, holding his terminal, kept his eyes glued to the data, his expression still serious. Seeing that all parameters were stabilizing, he immediately turned to Zhou Weiguo and reported in a deep voice, "Master, both nuclear bombs detonated normally. The detonation accuracy and yield release met expectations, and there were no abnormalities throughout the process."

Zhou Weiguo's gaze swept over the mushroom cloud on the holographic projection, and he slowly nodded. The coldness in his eyes faded a bit, replaced by a more confident and strategic air. His tone was calm but carried an undeniable force: "Alright, now that the nuclear test is complete, we should have a proper talk with them."

He raised his hand and tapped lightly on the terminal, issuing instructions one by one, clearly and logically: "First, disable all the crack generators on the aircraft carriers deployed near the US bases in the Asia-Pacific region. No more hiding, let them see our strength clearly."

"Second, activate all 108 nuclear silos, open them all and stand by, so that all nuclear missiles are ready to be launched at any time, giving them a sufficient deterrent."

"Third, we should simultaneously transmit our deployment and requirements to the United States, clearly telling them that they have seven days to withdraw all military bases in the Asia-Pacific region, otherwise, after seven days, the areas where these bases are located will be completely removed from the map."

Shaot immediately straightened up and replied in a deep voice, "Yes, Master! I will carry it out immediately!"

She paused, a hint of hesitation flashing across her brows, but couldn't help asking again, her tone tinged with worry: "But Master, are you really going to start a nuclear war? Once it starts, the scope of the impact will be too wide, and it might trigger a global catastrophe."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Weiguo chuckled softly, slowly shaking his head, his tone full of clarity and control: "I will not initiate a nuclear war. Nuclear deterrence, nuclear deterrence, isn't the purpose to force them to compromise with strength? There's no need for a truly mutually assured destruction scenario."

He leaned back in his command chair, gazing into the distance, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes: "First, drive America out of the Asia-Pacific region and eliminate the military threat to China's surrounding areas; next, it will be time to settle our scores and settle the blood debts of the past; finally, make America return the land it occupied, and our historical mission will be complete."

After speaking, Zhou Weiguo stood up, straightened his clothes, and waved to Shao Te: "Go, carry out the orders. I need to go see Elder Long to discuss the subsequent resettlement of these territories. I don't want to get involved in so many places; it's too troublesome..."

..................

PS: To all readers

First of all, I want to apologize to everyone. This novel did not reach the expected length and was hastily ended before reaching 900,000 words, which disappointed many readers.

During the writing process, I frequently adjusted the direction of my writing, which disrupted the original storyline and gradually caused the plot to lose its initial appeal. This was an oversight on my part as the author, and I feel very guilty about it.

This is my first attempt at writing a novel. In the beginning, I had no plan and no outline. I wrote whatever came to mind, relying on my inspiration.

It wasn't until I delved deeper into the creative process that I gradually figured out some of the tricks of writing novels, and I also became increasingly aware of my own shortcomings.

I am aware that this book has many flaws. I have kept in mind every criticism and correction you have given me, and I understand that these are areas that I must face up to and improve.

Later, I was so eager to revise because of the frequent criticisms I received that I fell into a predicament where the more I revised, the more chaotic it became. I slowly exhausted my creative enthusiasm, and in the end, I could hardly even approve of the story I had written.

Furthermore, creating works based on the theme of courtyard houses truly gave me a lot of trouble: the villains couldn't be easily "killed off the show," otherwise the tension between the characters and the theme would be lost; but they also couldn't be allowed to roam free forever, which would disappoint everyone's expectations. With opinions so varied, the overwhelming criticism once made me doubt myself and find it hard to persevere.

I will reflect deeply on the shortcomings of this novel and strive to make my next novel one that you all enjoy.

By the way, let me update you guys on the progress of my next novel. I've written about 2 words so far, and I'll upload it after polishing a few more chapters! This time, it's not the typical high-tech, wish-fulfillment story set in a courtyard house. Instead, it's about one person achieving enlightenment and their entire clan rising to power: the protagonist leads his entire clan into the city, seizes a courtyard house, takes over a steel mill, and rises against all odds, even marrying triplets—a truly satisfying moment! The core story revolves around uniting the clan to escape a great famine, securing access to marketable food, relentlessly humiliating others, and gradually establishing themselves in the city. Of course, it's still a system novel, a typical wish-fulfillment story. If you're interested, please follow me, thank you!