Outside the palace, an elder called out to the marshal. The marshal didn't treat the elder lightly just because he was an "ordinary person".
The two walked side by side on the road. Some passersby saluted them as a sign of respect, while others didn't.
They also didn't ask people to be respectful to them. This was the most special thing about the Penjieo Empire. In some ways, everyone was equal.
But in some ways, there were still classes in this society. It was just that the gap between the classes wasn't that big, and social resources weren't completely in the hands of the privileged aristocrats.
"I saw those planes. If the Federation sends those planes to deal with us, do we have a way to deal with them?"
The elder asked the question he was most concerned about.
Secrets couldn't be kept between people, and it was the same between countries.
Some countries had already obtained the overseas version of the J-I bomber from Lynch, which then flowed into the wider market.
The people here spent a lot of money to buy two planes. It was said that the Empire was already able to replicate this model and produce a better generation of bombers. It was also in the process of semi-mass production.
In fact, other industrial countries could easily replicate planes as long as they figured out the key parts.
The marshal and the military quickly understood the value of the plane and began to crack it.
Money and industrial capabilities. These things didn't involve sophisticated electronic technology. For a country with a long history, it wasn't too difficult to solve.
The first generation of bombers was now in production. At the same time, in order to reduce the terrible lethality of the plane to the army, Penjieo's military group also developed some high-efficiency anti-aircraft cannons.
Other than that, there were also some other new equipment. After these equipment were produced, they didn't have any practical use except for occasional exercises or to test out new tactical combinations.
They could only be stored quietly in the warehouse. The next time they were pulled out, they would be sent to the metal recycling factory.
The marshal nodded. "In fact, this is a good thing for us. Everyone thinks that the Gaffra and the Federation are the best countries in the world in terms of military technology and capability. They don't take us seriously at all."
"And we do need to understand the gap between ourselves and these so-called technologically advanced countries before we take back the glory that belongs to us."
"This will be a test. From here, we can discover the gap between us!"
In fact, as early as last year, there were some voices within Peng Jieao. They continued to promote the development of technology, industry, and various kinds of war equipment. However, these equipment were not useful at all!
It's not like I can't have it. It's purely a waste of money.
The idea of taking them out and using them gradually became a trend.
Now, it was necessary for the entire country to take advantage of the friction to test the difference in military power between them and the Federation.
"If we lose, we can find what we are lacking in here and fix it."
"This way, when the full-scale war begins, we won't fall too far behind."
The elder nodded and asked, "What if we win?"
The Imperial Marshal was stunned for a moment before he burst into laughter. "If we win, we can help the Najaril Royal Family realize their wish for political independence!"
The elder smiled and said, "I know how to convince those merchants. They will be interested in this news!"
The business atmosphere within the Peng Jieao Empire was relatively relaxed. After all, there were millennium-old nobles and royalty to suppress them. It was difficult for capital to make waves in this land.
However, this did not mean that the restrictions on capital were very strict. On the contrary, many times, power would deliberately make way for capital, such as foreign conquest and plunder.
On this continent, many people thought that this kind of expansion, invasion, and plunder came from the interests of the Peng Jieao nobles or the ruling class.
In fact, these demands came from the middle and lower classes of society. When they thought that their current life could not satisfy their yearning for life, or that it was difficult to support it, they would think of expansion, invasion, or plunder.
A large number of people would join the army and rush to the frontlines.
They could directly plunder on the frontlines, and they could also be promoted through military achievements and other means. Every war was a carnival for the Peng Jieao Empire!
Except for the war with Gevra.
The Guevara People firmly controlled the sea, so the Peng Jieao Empire could only take a beating without being able to fight back. They were all holding back, wanting to teach the Guevara People a lesson.
If the pressure in a pressure tank was too high, it would explode.
If the pressure of society was too high, it would also explode.
This "friction" could also be seen as a way to release the pressure and contradictions within society.
If they won in the friction, and continued to win, then it would be a war.
At this time, the rich Najalil could definitely bring the empire what everyone wanted, wealth, power, status, or anything else.
If they lost, they could turn the pressure within society into motivation. This was one of the ways the Peng Jieao Empire developed.
It was not that they did not have strong opponents, but in the end, they all fell at their feet one by one.
There were hundreds of bronze statues kneeling at the foot of the Sacred Mountain. Every time the Peng Jieao Empire conquered a power, a regime, the ruler would be molded into a kneeling statue and suppressed under the Sacred Mountain!
If people knew that there would be some armed conflict soon, they would be very happy.
There was no need for persuasion. Businessmen would invest in the war, and ordinary people would invest by joining the army. It was like a feast, and no one could wait!
An empire that had been around for over a thousand years had maintained its extraordinary vitality. It was both bizarre and terrifying.
Soon, Peng Jieao's reaction was reported to the Federation. As the core country of the defeated country, the Federation's evaluation of its war potential was much higher than that of Gefra. In fact, it was much higher.
In the war, its overall strength did not suffer much, but the coastal cities were wiped out by artillery shells.
But this loss was nothing to the empire. It was just a loss of face.
They had a strong army, a large population, and a vast territory. If the navy could keep up, they would pose a terrible threat to any country in the world.
Gefra was different. Its territory was small, and its population was not large. This almost meant that it did not have much war potential.
At the end of the war, it was a battle of attrition and accumulation of living forces.
You kill me, I kill you. Let's see who dies first.
This was what a fair war looked like. If some restrictions and advantages were added, in the end, it was still a battle of numbers.
The Guevara People were too small. Once the fire of war ignited on the mainland, it would quickly burn the entire island.
But Peng Jieao was different. Even if they landed, facing the world's strongest army, as well as the huge territory and huge population, it would be a disaster for any country!
So countries all over the world paid close attention to Peng Jieao. When the Peng Jieao Empire sent a search and rescue team with the excuse of "a noble went missing in the Legwis Islands", the whole world became nervous.
In the Federation, some media even clamored about the arrival of the Second World War and attracted the attention of the audience.
The Ministry of Defense of the Federation immediately entered a level two alert state, which was the highest alert state during non-wartime.
If it entered a red alert state, it meant that war was really coming.
At the same time, the Gefra ambassador met with Mr. Trumann that night to talk about the Gefra Emperor and the Prime Minister's thoughts and determination to work together with the Baylor Federation to maintain world peace.
It was clearly the end of August. The proud sun hung in the sky and shot heat to the ground, but people didn't feel any warmth, only coldness!
"The Legwis Islands are about six hundred kilometers east of Najalil. If they choose to move quickly, they can enter the easternmost part of Najalil in three weeks."
In the conference hall of the Bupenn Joint Development Company, people looked at the huge map projection hanging on the wall. This was the latest office technology.
They used the same way they used to play movies in office. It had to be said that this provided a good prop for a multi-person meeting.
Mr. Geruno also came in person, and he couldn't treat this as a small matter.
Najalil provided him with a stable supply of goods, and because of the emergence of Najalil, his industry began to upgrade.
The people of Najalil didn't mind being slaves. Of course, they didn't pursue the kind of consumable slaves, but the kind of high-end toys.
This also made it easier for them to find those who were willing to cooperate and train them. It was said that they had secretly established a slave academy in Najalil and sent all kinds of slaves to the underground world all over the world.
These things weren't just money, but also connections and power!
The person who was explaining the situation also made people aware of the seriousness of the problem. There were also some retired officers and military advisers present.
Mr. Geruno asked a question, "Will they leave?"
He was very elegant, more like a noble than a noble. Money and power had nurtured his "noble" temperament, and every movement was elegant.
"What I mean is, when they get what they want, will they leave?"
He didn't say friction, nor did he say testing, but only "what they want." Without knowing the specific situation, he couldn't give an exact target. This could cause a misjudgment.
A military adviser shook his head. "Mr. Geruno, if you have a conflict with your opponent and accidentally find that your opponent is weaker than you think, will you let him go?"