A god-tier fishing spot, anglers lined up to give me money.

...

Skye, the tall man representing the Eagle Army, took off his glasses and wiped them: "Our reconnaissance planes have captured more details; the number of behemoths... is far greater than we imagined. And unlike the ferocious creatures in Antarctica, they are acting in an organized manner."

Lin Mo, the Chinese representative, frowned as he flipped through the documents in front of him: "Abnormal activity has also been detected along our coast. Currently, it's only small-scale contact, but based on the Japanese experience, a large-scale landfall could happen within the next few days."

The Russian representative, Abachi, tapped the table: "Enough with the nonsense, the problem now is, what do we do? Conventional weapons have limited effectiveness, and the Japanese are endless. They're reproducing, mutating, and their numbers are constantly increasing."

.........

Silence fell; everyone knew that only one option remained.

The American representative spoke first: "Nuclear weapons. Tactical yield, targeting the concentrated area. Japan... there's practically nothing left to protect. This is damage control."

"And the cost?" The French representative, Ai Si, looked up. "Radiation, ocean current pollution, ecological disaster—it's, after all, a nation."

"The cost is less than letting the behemoths spread," the representative from the Bear Country said gruffly. "They'll be at our doorstep sooner or later. You want to use this on your own doorstep? Japan is just an island nation; to put it bluntly, it's gone."

.........

Five Good People: 🤔🤔🤔...

Seeing that no one had expressed their opinion, the secretary-general broke the silence: "In that case, let's vote!"

Voting begins.

The hawk representative, Skye, was the first to speak out: "I agree to use nuclear weapons against Japan."

He raised his hand crisply and decisively, his face expressionless, and looked at Lin Mo, the representative of China.

He didn't believe Lin Mo would disagree. The two countries had a long history of enmity, and Lin Mo certainly wouldn't give up such a good opportunity.

Feeling the intense gaze of Ster, Lin Mo curled his fingers slightly, pretended to hesitate and frowned as he raised his entire hand, sighing, "My country, China, agrees to use nuclear weapons against Japan."

Upon seeing the two men, the representative of the Russian Bear, Abachi, raised his arm without hesitation: "It should have been done long ago. My Russian Bear agrees to the use of nuclear weapons against Japan."

As he spoke, his grey-blue eyes swept around, looking at everyone before finally settling on the secretary-general's face, and he raised his chin slightly.

The Gallic rooster, representing Ai Si, has its head bowed, its eyelashes casting a small shadow under its eyelids.

Her fingers were twisted together, and Ba Shili coughed softly beside her, as if urging her on.

Aiss suddenly raised her head. All three giants had agreed. What could she do? She raised it again. "France, agrees!"

John Bull, representing Paris Saint-Germain, let out a long sigh.

In front of him lay an open folder containing copies of the last few letters from Japan pleading for help.

He raised his right hand, palm open, "Agreed!"

All five hands were raised.

The secretary-general stood at the end of the long table, his gaze sweeping over each of the five arms.

He opened the folder in front of him, picked up a pen, and signed the resolution.

"Resolution passed. Operation codename 'Clear the Way'. Execution window: ...within 24 hours."

No one speaks.

Skye lowered her arms and began organizing the documents in front of her.

Lin Mo smiled faintly, his eyes closed as he leaned back in his chair.

Abachi stood up, the chair leg scraping against the floor with a screeching sound. Ais buried her face in her hands, her shoulders trembling slightly. Ba Shili put his glasses back on, the glare from the lenses obscuring his eyes, making it impossible for anyone to see what was inside.

As the meeting ended, a few scattered footsteps echoed in the corridor.

The door closed, and everything inside was sealed in top-secret files.

The world doesn't know, Japan doesn't know, and Prime Minister Osaka Tomimura, who was guarding his ruined official residence, knew even less.

He is still waiting, waiting for the US to come; he hasn't given up on them.

In the underground command center of the official residence, Osaka Tomimura leaned back in his chair, his suit wrinkled like a rag.

He hadn't slept for several days, and his eyes were bloodshot.

Three communicators were running simultaneously in front of me, one of which was specifically connected to the US hotline. The indicator light was always on, but all I could hear on the other end was the hissing sound of electricity.

"Your Excellency, you should rest." The secretary brought in a cup of tea, the water in which was cold.

Daban Fucun waved his hand.

He stared at the communicator, his lips moving as if he were muttering something.

A faint rumbling sound came from outside, whether it was artillery fire or the footsteps of a giant beast, but it seemed to be getting closer.

The red dots representing the giant beasts on the map have covered most of the island nation, densely packed from north to south.

Only a small area around the Tokyo metropolitan area remains undeveloped, but that area is gradually being eroded.

"Operator, please try again."

The operator, sweating profusely, fiddled with the knob, the indicator light flashing and turning off repeatedly.

Finally, a muffled static came from the speaker—it was a human voice!

Osaka Tomimura sat up straight and grabbed the microphone.

"This is Japanese Prime Minister Tomimura Osaka, requesting a response from the United States. Repeating, requesting a response!"

A few words were intermittently mixed in with the noise, and they were hard to hear.

Osaka Tomimura gripped the microphone even tighter, almost crushing the plastic casing.

The next moment, the noise disappeared, and only the busy tone of "beep, beep..." remained from the speaker.

He held the microphone blankly for a long time before finally putting it down.

The indicator light on the communicator was still on, glaringly bright, mockingly bright.

"They... gave up?" The secretary's voice trembled.

Osaka Tomimura did not respond.

He turned around and looked down at the ground through the only small window in the underground command center.

The window is set high in the wall, offering only a small glimpse of the sky.

The sky was gray, and something was shimmering in the distance.

He thought for a moment, then murmured as he closed his eyes, "It's over..."

...

That evening, a fighter jet took off from the aircraft carrier deck.

Skye stood in the command room on the island superstructure, watching the fighter jet disappear into the clouds, still clutching the glasses she had taken off in her hand.

The countdown timer behind him was flashing red, decreasing second by second.

At the same moment, in a radar station somewhere along the coast of China, Lin Mo, dressed in civilian clothes, stood in front of the display screen.

The operator glanced back at him, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.

Lin Mo waved his hand: "Continue monitoring."

His voice was calm, and his fingers, hidden behind his back, were constantly twisting together.

Back in Russia, Abachi has already returned home.

He sat in his office with a bottle of vodka and a plate of peanuts in front of him, the television on, displaying a weather satellite image of the direction of Japan.

He tore off a piece of black bread and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing for a moment before suddenly stopping and staring at a certain change on the screen.

On the cloud map, an unusual spot of light is being generated and expanding at an incredible speed.

"here we go."

He muttered something and took another swig of wine.

...

On the island nation,

Light, do you believe in light? A tiny point of light appears on the horizon.

Little by little, within a second, it can expand rapidly, pushing outwards in concentric circles.

The clouds turned white-gold; there was no Ultraman to save the day, only mushroom clouds.

On the sea, on the road, on the mountain, all the giant beasts raised their heads, including the Japanese chicken people who were still struggling to survive.

Countless eyes turned towards the light source at the same time, their pupils reflecting the light, the light that was engulfing everything.

Light travels faster than sound, and it took a long time for the sound to catch up.

A deafening roar, a buzzing sound, the earth shaking...

Osaka Tomimura stood in front of a small window in the underground command center, looking at the mushroom cloud outside the window.

He suddenly chuckled, very softly…

Then white light flooded through the window, and his laughter, along with himself, disappeared into the light.

One, two, giant clouds bloom across the island nation, flowers bloom everywhere.

Those mushroom-shaped clouds swirled and rose high into the sky, their edges edged with gold, and their centers a dense, impenetrable black.

The seawater was churned up and then receded, transforming into towering walls of water that crashed against the coastline that had already been plowed.

The giant beasts struggled in the light. Some of their massive bodies were overturned by the shockwaves, revealing their scale-covered bellies. Others writhed silently in the light, finally croaking.

But many more giant beasts simply stood there, letting the light and heat wash over their rough shells, motionless, until they turned to ashes.

Under the mushroom cloud, everything is equal, and everything is swallowed up.

The sea, the shore, the city, the ruins, the living, the dead—all vanished.

On that day, the sinful island nation ended its crimes and turned to ashes with the light…

When the light faded, all that remained above that sea was churning clouds of steam and countless pieces of debris floating on the surface.

The island nation in the satellite image has disappeared.

Such a commotion was known to the world in just a few seconds.

Videos and pictures of the mushroom cloud that hit the island nation earlier have gone viral online.

Amidst the overwhelming public outcry, social media platforms worldwide instantly crashed.

"Nuclear weapons, they...they really used them?"

"Those were living, breathing human beings, hundreds of millions of lives, and just like that..."

"There's no one left alive in Japan, understand? The behemoths have taken over the entire territory! Are you expecting them to swim right to your doorstep without using nuclear weapons?"

"How do you know there are no survivors? What about the underground bunkers? What about the mountains? What about those people?"

"Is it acceptable to sacrifice the citizens of an entire nation just to destroy a behemoth? How is this any different from the two atomic bombs dropped back then?"

"There's a huge difference. Those two bombs destroyed cities, this one destroyed an island overrun by monsters. You're telling me those behemoths can be killed with rifles?"

.........

International public opinion was in an uproar, and some sanctimonious remarks followed.

Large numbers of demonstrators flooded the streets of Paris, holding signs that read "Oppose nuclear genocide" and depicted radiation symbols and crying faces.

In a London square, someone used candles to spell out the outline of Japan. A gust of wind blew, extinguishing half of the candles, leaving the remaining half trembling in the wind, like the last shadow of that country.

The entrance to the United Nations building in New York was piled with flowers and signs, and someone knelt on the steps crying and was pulled away by the police.

The French government issued a statement, worded subtly but with a clear stance: "We are deeply saddened by the misfortune of the Japanese people and reserve our views on the use of nuclear weapons."

When Ai Si mentioned this resolution in his televised address, his voice choked up twice, which was clearly captured by the cameras.

On John Bull's side, when faced with questioning from Parliament, Barclay remained silent for a long time, finally uttering only one sentence: "Some choices are not right, but only not so wrong."

The Russian bear country didn't offer a single word of explanation.

When Abachi was surrounded by reporters, he took a sip of vodka and said gruffly, "If you're afraid of dying, don't be a savior!"

Skye's name has been thrust into the spotlight in the US media.

Some people dug up his past speeches, saying that he mentioned the term "strategic sacrifice" in a closed-door meeting, which caused an uproar.

The White House spokesperson remained tight-lipped, only stating that "all decisions are based on the best judgment of available intelligence."

The situation on the Chinese internet is quite different.

That night, fireworks lit up the windows of almost every household, from north to south, from the coast to the inland.

Red, gold, and green lights shot into the night sky with trails of light, then exploded and shattered into countless stars.

Someone set up a table of food and drinks on the rooftop. After the fireworks were finished, they sat down to drink, and the clinking of glasses made a loud noise, like firecrackers.

"Finally... after so many years," a middle-aged man with a stubble tilted his head back, finished a glass, and slammed it on the table. "So many ancestors, so many visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, everything in the history books, I remember it all. Today... it feels so good."

The young woman next to him nudged him: "Hey bro, watch your mouth, we're live streaming."

The live stream chat was flooded with comments like a waterfall: "That was awesome!"

"Sleepless tonight!"

"I wish my grandfather were still alive. He waited his whole life for this day."

"Don't just talk about Japan, those monsters are still around, but at this moment, I'm just happy."

"Our family set off eight boxes of fireworks, and the neighbors next door joined in. The whole street was filled with them."

Compared to the heart-wrenching scenes on the international internet, life within China is like another world.

Five of the top ten trending topics were related to fireworks.

Someone posted a video taken by a drone, showing the city lights rising and falling like a flowing galaxy from above. The caption was just two words: "Tonight."

Of course, some people muttered under their breath, "Isn't this a bit inappropriate...?"

But that sound was quickly drowned out by the deafening sound of firecrackers filling the sky.

On a forum, a Chinese person who had lived abroad for a long time posted that he was glared at by foreigners the entire subway ride because their phone wallpaper was a picture of fireworks. "I don't care," he said.

In his post, he wrote, "I walked out of the subway station, found an empty alley, and lit a sparkler. It was just a small one, and it burned out with a crackling sound. My nose started to sting."

Two worlds, two expressions.

On one hand, there is national mourning, collective grief, and angry questioning.

On the other side, fireworks light up the city, glasses clink, and a long sigh escapes from years of pent-up frustration.

Of course, there is no shortage of Virgin Marys in any place.

...

Yang Qi sat on the bank near the railing of the fishing spot, his phone screen playing a loop of images of mushroom clouds blooming in Japan.

His fishing spot originally had nearly a thousand fishing spots, but during peak season it was so crowded that you couldn't even find a place to cast your line.

But now, looking around, there are fewer than three hundred people scattered about, all huddled in the area furthest from the shore, looking up at the sky from time to time, as if worried that something might fall from behind the clouds.

The behemoth incident, the island nation wiped out overnight, had an impact on everything.

Many people, unwilling to wander, began to migrate in large numbers from coastal areas to the inland regions.

He put his phone back in his pocket, looked at the group of fishermen, and sighed. "Sigh, business is tough these days."

Several of our regular clients who used to book the entire venue every week didn't show up. When we called them, they said things like, "I haven't been going out much lately."

It means "stock up on some things at home to avoid trouble in the meantime".

"I hope all of this has nothing to do with me..."

"Brother Yang!"

While Yang Qifa was in a daze, a familiar voice came from the entrance.

Yang Qi turned his head and saw Bai Yiteng and Gu Tianyu being stopped by the security guards at the door.

Shiraito stood on tiptoe and waved in this direction, craning his neck as far as he could.

The security guard was gesturing to him, indicating that he needed to scan a QR code to register for entry. Bai Yiteng was frantic, jumping up and down: "I know your boss, Brother Yang, over here!"

Yang Qi frowned and walked over: "Old Wei, let them in. I know them."

The security guard then let them through, muttering under his breath, "They didn't even scan the code, who knows if it's......"

Shiraito rushed over in three strides, dressed in a playboy outfit.

He reached out and put his arm around Yang Qi's shoulder: "Brother Yang, it's been a month, did you miss me?"

Yang Qi dodged the hand and took a step back: "Young Master Bai, let's get down to business. Don't resort to violence."

Gu Tianyu strolled over slowly from behind, his hands in his pockets, and nodded to Yang Qi as a greeting.

"Oh, what's up?" Shiraito grinned and leaned closer. "Well, it's just that I was thinking about you."

"Get lost." Yang Qi glared at him. "Isn't that cheesy?"

Bai Yiteng persisted and tried to lean against him, but Gu Tianyu grabbed her by the back of her collar and pulled her back.

"Stop talking nonsense and get my eyes dirty. Can't you talk about serious matters?"

Shiraito then stopped laughing, cleared his throat, looked around, and lowered his voice:

"Brother Yang, your fishing spot...has business been affected lately?"

Yang Qi rolled his eyes. "Get lost! What's the situation now? You're so full of nonsense. Look at yourself..."

He gestured with his chin towards the fishing area, "A month ago, this place was so crowded you couldn't even find a place to step. Now? There are less than three hundred people. If you have nothing else to do, get lost. I'm busy."

Instead of rolling away, Shirai Ito took a step forward, his smile fading, and said in a serious voice:

"Brother Yang, I'm telling you something serious. The government is planning to set up an anglers' alliance, in conjunction with relevant departments. They'll issue an announcement in a couple of days."

Hearing this, Yang Qi looked up, his eyebrows raised. "The Anglers' Alliance? But... what does that have to do with me?"

"No, Brother Yang, are you pretending to be ignorant when you know the truth?"

Bai Yiteng slapped Yang Qi on the arm, making him stumble to the side. "You're a peak Grandmaster of Fishing! How many Grandmasters are there in the entire Chinese fishing community? You can count them on one hand! You're what we call the backbone, understand? The kind they specifically want. And you're telling me you're not interested?"

Yang Qi rubbed his arm, which had been slapped so hard, scoffed, and pushed Shirai Ito away: "No interest. My fishing spot may have fewer people, but it's still manageable. I'm quite content with my little corner of the market. Don't bother me with any alliance stuff."