This Game Is Too Real-Chapter 772: To Deceive Your Opponent, First Deceive Yourself

North Island Naval Command.

Hurried footsteps and conversations filled the air, creating a scene of bustling activity.

Since the incident on Shazhou Island, the powder keg in the southern sea area had been fitted with a fuse, now just lacking a spark to ignite it.

This "quiet" war had entered its most critical phase, with increasingly high stakes on the table, and both sides had their nerves stretched tight, tightly gripping their hands of cards.

Especially for the core of the Federal Navy’s command, many had been working nonstop for a month, and Charles had even moved his office from the Presidential Mansion to the command center, delegating the trivial and unimportant daily matters to his appointed puppet vice president.

Poor governance wouldn’t affect his position as president, but losing the war would mean losing everything, and he was very clear about what was more important.

Time moved from September to October, and in a few more days, the new destroyers were due to launch.

They would be the most modern and advanced destroyers in Federal history, and although not enough to change the entire war, they would nonetheless add another chip to his hand.

Just as Charles patiently waited for the right moment for the decisive battle, the situation suddenly turned in a new direction.

And it was in favor of the Federation!

The previously captured Reef No. had unexpectedly sent a telegram, not only revealing its patrol route and information about the South Sea Alliance but also expressing dissatisfaction with the extreme distrust they faced from the Alliance, as well as a desire to return to the Federation.

It’s necessary to mention the strategy of the South Sea Federation in dealing with this "captive ship."

Due to the South Sea Alliance’s lack of reserve officers and experienced sailors to fully replace the crew of Reef No., the South Sea Federation authorities kept 80% of the original crew and replaced the remaining 20% with Alliance monitors to control the destroyer’s communications, radar, and daily security.

Currently, Reef No. was effectively under surveillance, like a donkey blindfolded, able only to receive orders unilaterally from the command center on Anle Island, without any right to participate in discussions or speak at operational meetings.

The life and safety of all the officers and men on board the destroyer couldn’t be guaranteed, and even the monitors in charge of surveilling Reef No. felt a deep unease and dissatisfaction with Commander Li Minghui’s overbearingness.

If one had to choose a boss anyway, why not choose a stronger one?

Zhang Ruowen, who still served as captain of the Reef No. destroyer, had successfully bribed a radio operator monitor and used the brief duty intervals to send a secret cable to North Island.

Logically and emotionally, it made sense.

The captain of Reef No. hadn’t surrendered but was captured by the frogman troops of the Alliance, and though he remained in his post, it was out of helplessness, so mistrust was natural.

If the Southern Alliance had anyone capable of the Captain’s position to replace him, they would have done so without hesitation.

And they might still send him to a military court for trial.

Of course, North Island Command didn’t immediately reply to the secret cable but waited patiently for a few days to confirm that Reef No. was indeed patrolling according to the route outlined in the cable, after which they made contact using the method mentioned in the message.

The two sides communicated about a series of operational details, including the rescue route and intercepting pursuers, to ensure that Reef No. could return safely to the North Island military port.

If successful, this would undoubtedly give a tremendous boost to the morale of the North Island military and civilians!

Charles personally orchestrated the entire rescue plan, meticulously reviewing every detail to ensure nothing went amiss.

However, just as he was about to take action, an uneasy flutter arose in his heart, prompting him to ask the attending staff officer.

"Is the intelligence reliable?"

The staff officer replied immediately.

"It should be correct."

Charles nodded but felt a twitch in his eyelid and couldn’t help asking again.

"Could it be a trap?"

"It should—" the staff officer began to say "it shouldn’t be," but his own doubts crept in after being asked repeatedly, and after a long hesitation, he said, "It’s very unlikely."

Charles said suddenly.

"So, you mean it’s not impossible."

That was for sure.

You could choke to death eating a meal, let alone executing such a complicated operation plan.

"Yes," the staff officer nodded, his gaze locked on Charles as he awaited his order.

Charles frowned and pondered, his resolve wavering.

Things had not been going well lately.

First, Shazhou Island was lost, followed by Reef No., and the whole North Federation was on edge.

What was worse, various forces on the Wasteland, which had previously had nothing to do with each other, suddenly united. Even the natives of Poluo Province were said to have joined the fray on Ten Peaks Mountain, and the situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable for the Torch Church.

He didn’t know what the situation was like to the north, but the war had spread to Haiya, and however, he interpreted it, it was hard to see it as an advantage.

The Torch Church was playing for time, trying to increase the strength in the southern sea area to open strategic space to the south.

The South Sea Alliance followed the same strategy.

While they might be slightly inferior in fleet strength, they could easily tie down the Federation, keeping the situation at bay, waiting for the Torch Church’s war to end, after which everything would naturally come to an end.

The pressure from the south was entirely on him...

Even if just for his sake, he had to help the Torch Church open up strategic space to the south.

But as he was about to make a decision, a thunderous voice suddenly rang in his ear.

"Idiot! It’s a trap!"

Alzu’s figure appeared abruptly beside Charles, startling him.

That pale golden figure was visible only to him, while others looked at him with puzzled eyes, wondering what had come over him so suddenly.

Charles came to his senses with a start, a drop of cold sweat slowly sliding down his forehead.

That was close!

He had almost been deceived!

He should have realized earlier. Even before Alzu spoke, he had a vague sense that something wasn’t right.

During the previous landing operation on Shazhou Island, Captain Zhang Ruowen of Reef No. had clearly refused to follow his orders, not bombarding the residence but instead dropping the shells in the suburbs outside.

The Mutants that came ashore were decimated by a barrage from the Alliance airborne troops; an entire thousand team was annihilated to the last man.

That guy already had a precedent for pretending to comply with his own orders while secretly defying them; how could he possibly have a change of heart now?

He’s afraid of facing a military tribunal from the South Sea Union, but not afraid of being accountable to himself?

Seeing Charles remain silent, Alzu, who stood beside him like a ghost, slowly began to speak.

"I planted a Holy Land in Zhang Ruowen’s body... He has already defected to the South Sea Alliance. The so-called betrayal is just bait; they plan to lure your Sea Edge Battleship out of the harbor and then use their new equipment—a giant submarine capable of launching carrier-based aircraft—to sink it."

The Holy Lands are independent of each other; however, when the network is unimpeded, there is an exchange of information that occurs beyond the host’s control.

Just now, during the routine communication between the North Island Military Base and the Reefs Destroyer, he perceived a message from the chip inside Zhang Ruowen—

The so-called betrayal was actually bait.

The South Sea Alliance fleet was lying in ambush nearby!

Charles narrowed his eyes, his gaze flickering towards Alzu.

"When did this happen?"

Alzu calmly replied, "Recently."

Charles continued with deliberate emphasis, "What I’m asking is, when did you plant this Holy Land inside the head of my officer?"

Faced with that interrogative gaze, Alzu let out a chuckle, his lips curling with a hint of mockery.

"He has been an apostle of the Torch since before the Federation fell apart... Why question me with that tone? Moreover, if it weren’t for my foresight in making prior arrangements, you and your fleet would have blundered into the South Sea Union fleet’s trap like headless flies. You should be thanking me for saving your life."

Charles let out a cold laugh.

"I don’t need your reminder to guess it’s a trap."

"Is that so?" Alzu smiled noncommittally, then quietly vanished from the front of the command desk, as if he had never been there at all.

A pair of eyes focused on Charles, and all officers were waiting for their boss’s command.

Restraining his turbulent emotions, Charles cleared his throat. He took a sweeping glance at the people standing before the desk and said in an unhurried, methodical voice,

"This is a trap!"

The command room stirred, the officers looking at each other in astonishment, exchanging surprised looks.

"Indeed, we cannot rule out that possibility..." The fleet commander stroked his chin, his expression gradually becoming grave.

The staff officer next to him also nodded.

"I also think..."

In a sudden 180-degree turn from discussing the details of combat, everyone started to think that there might be deceit at play, talking convincingly with well-founded analysis.

Seeing how quickly these guys changed their tunes, Charles’s brow twitched violently, but he said nothing.

In truth, he was quite clear-headed, recognizing a problem that almost all autocrats inevitably face.

Once the "cannot defy" ideological brand is stamped on someone, it’s destined that one loses the capacity for contrary thinking. It’s not possible to maintain unity like worker bees while also expressing views on the construction of the beehive that differ from those of the queen bee.

Even in professional fields.

As an autocrat, he was destined to only hear what he wanted to hear.

People would simply follow his words, consciously or unconsciously—even in the "professional fields" where he hoped to hear different opinions.

Therefore, when he said he wanted to save the Reefs, even the most experienced officers didn’t dare think against his direction; they only thought about how to save, not whether it was possible to save.

Luckily, he noticed in time, or else he might have nearly fallen into the pit dug by the opposition.

"Are we to abandon the Reefs?" The commander looked towards Charles, cautiously asking for the boss’s opinion.

Just like the initial decision to save, "The Reefs is a trap" became the new undisputed fact.

"Abandon? Why abandon?" Charles said with a light smile, continuing in a slow and methodical voice, "To strike more conveniently, the South Sea Union fleet must be lurking somewhere near the Reefs, including the submarine mentioned in the intelligence capable of launching carrier-based aircraft."

The officers exchanged glances, whispering among themselves in a low buzz of discussion.

That was certainly a possibility.

Or rather, it was almost certain.

After surveying his subordinates, Charles clenched his right fist and slammed it onto the command table, excitedly saying,

"Gentlemen! This is a trap, but it’s also an opportunity! The traitors to the South have no idea that we have seen through their ruse, and our dagger is already at their throats!"

"A new battle plan, codenamed ’Stranding’! To be carried out simultaneously with ’Return Line’!"

"Respond to the Reefs! Tell them we are ready! Command them to proceed to our designated coordinates for assembly!"

The officers all saluted.

"Yes, sir!"

...

On the billowing waves of the sea, a lone ship was slowly making its way northwest.

Zhang Ruowen suddenly felt as if the ship was very much like him, or perhaps he was like the ship.

He didn’t know where he should go.

This confusion worsened after Charles’s new declaration.

Over the past 200 years, survivors in the Southern sea area had done many things, but it seemed all in vain; in the end, they were still repeating the mistakes made 200 years ago.

The Federation was born in flames and fell apart in even greater flames.

Because of their enemy’s opposition, they inclined toward the Torch, but this overly intense energy ended up burning everyone.

So what was all this for?

"...Your confusion is normal; the root of all mistakes lies in the human species itself. It’s the physiologically determined limit. Old humans belong only to Earth and are only suitable for life on Earth. Fish that want to go ashore must evolve limbs, and having limbs alone is not enough to stride towards the distant stars; we are still missing a revolution in our very form of life."

The calm voice came from the depths of the mind’s sea, like a gospel from Heaven, granting him a moment of peace.

Zhang Ruowen cast a sidelong glance at the old man standing in the captain’s room and responded with a faint smile,

"Then why haven’t you simply abandoned your flesh, like your kindred have done?"

He knew this fellow was a high-ranking member of the Torch Church,

And he was the only one who had been granted access to the Holy Land without becoming a Pioneer.

"That’s too extreme," Alzu shook his head slowly and spoke, "They hasten to make a clear distinction from humans, but in doing so, they place themselves at a disadvantage. If it were me, I’d exploit human identity to its fullest, recapture the heritage of the old civilization, and only then proceed with the ultimate transformation."

Following his method, while the Torch couldn’t deceive the Academy, fooling corporations was still feasible.

The residents of Ideal City still harbored some guilt over events that transpired 150 years earlier; otherwise, they wouldn’t be throwing money at the Wasteland, trying to amend their past mistakes.

As for the Army, they could be swayed with the technologies coveted by the Weilante People and promises of ruling the Grand Canyon. Even if the eastward expansionists failed, there were still a considerable number of Weilante People outside of the Eastern Legion eager for "revenge" against the War Construction Committee.

Overthrowing the Grand Canyon and breaking free from their sovereign’s bonds was also a desire of the Free State; they could very well form an unspoken alliance of mutual interests, just like during the Bone Chewing Chaos.

Thus, regardless of the Alliance’s strategies, assembling a net of encirclement like the present one would become difficult.

However, regrettably, those Pioneers held themselves in too high esteem, believing "advanced thoughts and ideas" would certainly triumph over the old and mistaking what had yet to become history for its inevitability.

And such was the outcome in the end.

In the end, it was still up to him, a human who retained his physical body, to avert disaster.

Alzu sighed inwardly.

Luckily, he’d employed a bit of trickery; otherwise, the situation would likely have been irreversible.

Another self on a different chip should have already warned Charles; by now, North Island must have realized the entire operation was a hoax.

The South Sea Alliance never would’ve guessed that the captain of the Reef was actually his own Apostle. And this Apostle would not have imagined he knew all his secrets.

Both men remained silent, each harboring their own thoughts as they watched the billowing waves outside the bridge.

At that moment, footsteps sounded from the corridor, and the executive officer entered through the door, saluting and speaking with a solemn expression,

"Report, sir! As you commanded, we have released the ’signal’... North Island Naval Base has responded; the Flying Fish Destroyer is heading to the designated coordinates for reinforcement."

"Mm," Zhang Ruowen nodded, "Just proceed with the plan."

The bait operation was highly classified.

No one aboard the destroyer knew of the codename "Laken," nor were they aware that they themselves were the bait.

His closest confidantes only knew of his defection to the north, and most ordinary sailors were unaware that their ship had deviated from its patrol route, much less that their whereabouts were now exposed to the North Federation Fleet.

Everything was a part of the plan.

Looking at Zhang Ruowen, who was expressionless, the executive officer hesitated slightly and said in a quiet voice,

"Sir..."

"What is it?" Zhang Ruowen said nonchalantly.

The aide-de-camp paused before continuing,

"Is this really the right thing to do?"

Zhang Ruowen looked at him, lifting his eyebrows slightly,

"What are you referring to?"

"I don’t think that Charles will trust you more than General Li Minghui would... and once we return to North Island, we might receive a nominal welcome, but our actual situation could be worse. And..."

The executive officer hesitated, as if wary of whether he should speak his mind.

But after a moment of silence, he gritted his teeth and voiced his thoughts,

"Moreover, I believe... that what the Southern Alliance advocates is what we truly need."

They needed not false peace and unity, but a genuine federation!

Hearing this, Zhang Ruowen was silent for a while, as if waiting for something.

And just as the second and minute hands aligned, he suddenly let out a loud laugh and then spoke in a very light tone,

"That’s good, very good."

The executive officer was taken aback,

"Good?"

Zhang Ruowen nodded lightly and continued to speak with a faint smile,

"You’ve started to think about our future, and that’s good... Although I haven’t decided where our future lies, at least someone is thinking about it, and perhaps my bewilderment is only temporary."

Looking at his bewildered aide-de-camp, he went on,

"The reason I chose Charles was largely because I didn’t know what to do either. Maybe a tough guy with some ability could think on behalf of all of us... At least he won’t be indecisive like Mongo, or like our Cabinet, bickering from dusk till dawn, unable to reach a conclusion."

"Maybe the guy isn’t all bad... At first, I thought so. He might lead us to a brighter future."

"But then I suddenly realized... that’s just my laziness and illusion. That fool isn’t smarter than any of us. He would make the same mistakes we make in our quarrels, over and over again, silently."

It is said that survivors from the Southern sea area are gradually making their way out, carrying the legacy of the Prosperity Epoch to change others on the Wasteland, to unite more people.

If it was Charles, he probably wouldn’t allow them to do that.

That man even dreams of establishing a vast maritime empire after resolving the Alliance, relying on Torch-provided biotechnology to rival the Army, corporations, and the Academy, treating the survivors of the southern seas as chess pieces and fetters in his game.

Truly petty...

Both in capability and ambition.

Already the president of the Federation, he couldn’t even dare to dream a bit bigger!

Despite the vast Star Sea above them, that man could only see the tiny pond beneath his feet.

If they followed that guy, they’d never return to the places they once set foot in their entire lives!

A hint of a smile curled up at the corner of Zhang Ruowen’s mouth, and he was infinitely grateful that he had made the right choice back then, which was to hesitate for those two seconds when he received Charles’s order.

However, looking at the smile on his face, the executive officer couldn’t help but ask with a bitter smile.

"Do you really think Charles is unreliable, and yet you still choose to follow him in the end?"

He did not approve of his superior’s decision to defect, but now it seemed too late to say anything.

The Reefs destroyer had entered radio silence, cutting off all contact with the South Sea Union.

Even if Commander Li Minghui were slow to catch on, by now he must realize that Reef No. had defected.

Only North Island Command knew their location and course, and they had no choice but to go all the way.

At least that’s how it seemed to him.

"You only see the surface... It’s normal to think that way," said Zhang Ruowen, taking out binoculars and glancing north before continuing, "There’s no need to keep a secret anymore... I can tell you clearly - we are just bait, and a decisive battle code-named ’Laken’ has already begun!"

"Pass my order! The whole ship enters first-level battle readiness! Prepare to face the ships coming to our aid!"

As he anticipated, the executive officer’s eyes widened in astonishment.

Including the other officers on the bridge, none of them anticipated this sudden change, having no idea that a routine patrol, or rather a defection, would turn into a final showdown with the North Federation!

Except for one person.

That was Alzu, visible only to Zhang Ruowen himself.

The latter’s facial muscles slowly twisted into a grim smile, like that of the sea beast Laken.

As expected!

This guy was really feigning surrender to lead the way!

He finally played his hand! 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Before entering radio silence, he had already notified the North Island Naval Command that instead of the Flying Fish Destroyer, the ships following their original route would encounter the Laken Cruiser!

That was a warship designed specifically to target destroyers!

In the past century, Shelter No. 70 didn’t only fear the army that overturned the War Construction Committee; they were actually most afraid of the survivors from the Southern sea area and designed a series of mutually restraining equipment to prevent them from using the shelter’s technology against the shelter itself.

Meanwhile, the Sea Edge Battleship, under the cover of the Flying Fish and Defender destroyers, would simultaneously face the South Sea Union’s above and below water ambush forces!

No matter how powerful their mother ships and aircraft were, they could not match the destroyers designed specifically for anti-submarine warfare.

Of course, the situation would be even worse if it surfaced!

As for the Harpoon Cruiser and the other two destroyers meant to provide cover for the submarines, they were a joke in front of the Sea Edge Battleship’s main guns!

Alzu looked at Captain Zhang Ruowen with a smile but didn’t expect the latter to be looking back at him.

His expressionless face revealed no ripples.

However, just then, Alzu suddenly noticed that calm smile turning into an unusual smirk.

He’s smiling!

Can he actually still smile?

Suddenly, Alzu thought of something, and his vacant pupils abruptly contracted.

Wait—

Code name Laken!?

The South Sea Union’s decoy operation code-named Laken!

This couldn’t be a coincidence!

There was only one explanation: these people were after the Laken Cruiser from the start!

They predicted his and Charles’s moves, even right down to the belief that Charles wouldn’t trust the Reef No., and even expected that Alzu would read the apostle’s thoughts and leak them... even though this secret had not been exposed to anyone, not even Charles!

"I suppose you’re quite surprised now as to how I managed to hide the operation’s code name from you, right?" Watching the smile change from ecstasy to fear, Zhang Ruowen spoke in a very light voice.

Without breaking their mind link, Alzu’s Adam’s apple moved. He nodded slowly.

Zhang Ruowen seemed nonchalant, continuing in an unhurried manner.

"To deceive the enemy, you must first deceive yourself... Truthfully, I only just learned what the code name for this operation was."

"Impossible!" Alzu glared at him but mistakenly found that he wasn’t lying.

A terrifying conjecture surfaced in his mind, along with a drop of nonexistent cold sweat.

Zhang Ruowen continued.

"You already know this is an ambush, so what’s coming to ’aid’ me won’t be another destroyer. Neither the Flying Fish nor the Defender is possible; they would take some time to make a result, and it couldn’t possibly be a battleship... Charles wouldn’t risk his only treasure leaving the fleet for the sake of destroying a single destroyer."

"That leaves only the Laken. After all, you’ve clearly stated that what will come to ’aid’ me will be an anti-submarine destroyer, and we would not allow any submarine to follow near the Reef No. if we were sure that the plan is not exposed, but rather keep them far away in an ambush."

"So even if the Laken’s anti-submarine capabilities are weaker, it would have enough time after sinking us to immediately turn around, meet up with your fleet nearby, and draw the South Sea Union’s surface and underwater fleets into your ambush."

If that were true, it would certainly be a disaster.

The South Sea Union’s submarines stood no chance against the North Federation’s destroyers, and the South Sea Union’s only Harpoon Cruiser was no match for the Sea Edge Battleship.

The entire fight would end as cleanly as rock-paper-scissors, without a hint of suspense.

However, for this reason, they could turn the tables, using Charles’s "prediction" about the South Sea Union for their own prediction!

If he wasn’t wrong, there must be a South Sea Union submarine lurking nearby, already aiming at the "Laken" claiming to be the Flying Fish and approaching this area!

"Li Minghui didn’t tell me the code name for this mission, so all this is my conjecture. If the code name turns out to be Flying Fish or something else, it proves I’ve gambled wrong."

Looking at Alzu’s fearful expression, through the void of his face to the billowing waves outside the bridge, and the "Laken" hidden behind those waves, Zhang Ruowen’s face bore a faint smile.

"But your reaction tells me I’ve probably guessed right!"